2022 Shore Conference Players to Watch Pt. 2
While the start of the girls basketball season in New Jersey is up in the air for now, there is a high expectation that basketball will be played this year. It’s been well over 250 days since the end of…
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Continue ReadingWhile the start of the girls basketball season in New Jersey is up in the air for now, there is a high expectation that basketball will be played this year.
It’s been well over 250 days since the end of last season and anticipation for the 2020/21 season has been building since play stopped in March.
Prep Girls Hoops is going down the shore in New Jersey, taking a look at the Shore Conference in this multi-part series of juniors to watch, continuing in the A Central division.
Mary Elizabeth Donnelly, G Manasquan: Donnelly is a spot-up shooter with a downhill mentality as a guard for Manasquan. Part of the four-headed monster of juniors this team has, she can shoot from anywhere on the court, from the perimeter, an elbow jumper from the foul line, or hard-nosed layup in the paint. She finds ways to score and is a proven scorer time and time again for this team. When the ball is in her hands, she’s going to score, more often than not and that tenacity is a hot commodity in women’s basketball.
Dorothy Loffredo, G/F Manasquan: Loffredo plays like a stretch five: someone who can shoot from deep, but also someone who doesn’t settle for the outside shot and will crash the paint for a scoring opportunity. She plays tough and uses her build to her advantage, pushing people around in the paint to draw a foul or create space for a shot. It’s worked to her advantage thus far and as Manasquan’s main presence down low, Loffredo is fed the ball a lot. On the defensive end, that’s meant a lot of rebounds, blocks and turnovers for Manasquan offensive fast breaks.
Katherine Martini, PF Holmdel: There’s a lot to like about Martini’s playing style and one of the first things that jumps off the page on film is her off-ball movement. At 6-1, she finds ways to get plenty of space for open looks, both down low and on the perimeter. She loves to shoot the three and is confident in her release. Down low, she’s backing down defenders for an easy jump hook or a shot off the glass for the quick two. There’s a clear skill difference between her and her opposition when she’s moving around the floor and the game just looks easy to her.
Abbey Ferguson, SF Holmdel: Ferguson’s size and play style compliments Martini really well on Holmdel, and it’s clear to see why these two are going to be the core of this team for the next two seasons. She uses her height to pick off passes and be a burden on defense, forcing bad passes and poor shot selections. On offense, she can score virtually anywhere on the floor, but she plays selfless and will often dish off passes to her teammates who have open looks. Holmdel will be a team to watch this season with Ferguson and Martini leading the charge.
Megan Casey, PG/SG Raritan: Casey has the best of both worlds as a combo guard for Raritan, and that starts with her perimeter game. She moves well off-ball and makes great cuts, providing her ample scoring opportunities. An underrated part of her game is her speed, especially making plays on defense. Casey does a great job at preventing opponents from getting into the lane, often times picking off their dribble and turning into a fast break she’s leading down the other side of the floor.
Stay tuned as Prep Girls Hoops continues to preview and profile different players in New Jersey as the 2020/21 high school girls basketball season rapidly approaches.