Boys Hoops: Ranney School ties to AAU team unusual, report says

Just over three weeks after its season ended, the Ranney School boys basketball team is in the spotlight again.

According to a report from NJ Advance Media, All-Shore players Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis and their respective families are living in separate houses owned by Brian Klatsky, the founder of Team Rio National, or owned by Klatsky’s parents, Alan and Maxine.

The families said they pay rent in the report.

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Team Rio National is an AAU program in New Jersey in which Antoine, a junior guard, and Lewis, a junior forward, are standout members on the team’s roster.

Ranney’s top six players and head coach all have ties to Team Rio, creating what the news outlet said "is believed to be an unprecedented pipeline to a New Jersey high school team.''

Former St. Anthony High School coach Bob Hurley Sr., the most decorated coach in New Jersey basketball history, told NJ Advance Media that -- depending on numerous factors, including whether the families are paying fair-market rent and other treatment -- the arrangement could result in NCAA scrutiny regarding amateurism rules.

Officials from the NJSIAA, the governing body of high school sports in the state, did not immediately respond to a request from the Asbury Park Press for comment.

However, the Ranney School issued the following statement to the Asbury Park Press late Tuesday night.

"Ranney is proud of our exceptional academics, our signature programs, and the fact that our diverse community is made up of incredibly talented students in many areas, including athletics," said Sara Zavorek, the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Ranney School. "We are confident in our commitment and dedication to the integrity of our procedures. We are fully transparent with our admissions and need-based financial aid processes, as both can be found directly on our website."

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The aforementioned report states that Lewis’ family lives in a four-bedroom home in Hazlet purchased by Klatsky for $296,000 in 2013 and that Antoine’s family lives in a two-bedroom condo in Tinton Falls purchased by Klatsky’s parents for $233,000 from 2016.

The Ranney basketball team had arguably its best season in school history. The Panthers won their first Shore Conference Tournament Title and their first NJSIAA Non-Public South B Title in school history on Feb. 24 and on March 6, respectively.

The Panthers also advanced to the NJSIAA Non-Public B State Final for the first time in school history and lost on a heartbreaking play to Roselle Catholic.

Antoine, who is ranked No. 7 in the ESPN 60 Recruiting Database for the Class of 2019, and Lewis, who is ranked No. 8 in the ESPN 60 Recruiting Database for the Class 2019, each hold scholarship offers from some of the best NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball programs in the country.

However, they haven’t yet publicly announced a commitment to any college program.

Staff Writer Sherlon Christie: schristie@gannettnj.com

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