2004‑05 New Jersey All‑State Boys Basketball Honors Revisited

When you dig into the archives of New Jersey high‑school basketball, the 2004‑05 season still bubbles up with a kind of nostalgic flash. Back then, Seton Hall Prep was the name on everybody’s lips – they walked away with the coveted Team of the Year nod, and its senior forward, Brandon Costner, was anointed Player of the Year. A senior forward who could finish at the rim and step back for a three‑pointer, Costner’s all‑around game left a lasting imprint on the court.

Equally noteworthy was the recognition of Passaic’s own Ken Slappy as Coach of the Year. Slappy, who had been shaping the Patriots’ program for years, finally got the statewide nod for his leadership and the way he got his players to buy into a team‑first mentality.

The All‑State roster itself reads like a snapshot of future college talent spread across the Garden State. The First Team featured Costner (Seton Hall Prep, senior forward), Paul Gause of Schalick (senior guard), Gerald Inman from St. Joseph (Mont.) (senior forward), Derrick Caracter of St. Patrick (junior forward) and Brian Zoubek of Haddonfield (senior center). Each brought a distinct flavor – from Costner’s power inside to Gause’s perimeter poise.

On the Second Team the selections highlighted players like Qa’rraan Calhoun (Raritan, senior forward) and Wellington Smith (Summit, senior forward), while Seton Hall’s own senior guard Chris Andrews, St. Augustine senior guard Anthony Farmer, and Linden senior guard Michael Henderson rounded out the five.

The Third Team continued the mix of seniors and rising juniors: Nick Smith (Colonia, senior guard/forward), Jaron Griffin (Manchester Township, senior forward), Marquis Jones (South Plainfield, senior guard), junior guard Kimmani Barrett from Paterson Catholic and junior forward Dan Werner of Christian Brothers.

All these names were lifted straight from the NJ.com historical project that republished the season’s postseason honors, which had been drifting toward obscurity for years. The article, posted July 20, 2026, serves as a reminder that high‑school athletics history matters – it’s the thread that links today’s players to the legends that came before.