2022 Shore Conference Standouts Pt. 8
It’s just about time for the start of the 2020/21 high school girls basketball season and despite the calendar being a bit delayed in the state of New Jersey for games, anticipation is still as high as ever. There’s a…
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Continue ReadingIt’s just about time for the start of the 2020/21 high school girls basketball season and despite the calendar being a bit delayed in the state of New Jersey for games, anticipation is still as high as ever.
There’s a lot of intrigue for this season, more than many others because of the pandemic looming over, but there is still hope that the season will get underway without any hitches.
Prep Girls Hoops has been following the New Jersey high school girls basketball scene and continues its look at the Shore Conference, staying in the B North division.
Patty Walsh, PF Middletown North: Walsh is an impactful presence down low for Middletown North, a reliable scoring target when she gets the ball. She creates space for herself in the paint and dominates the battle of the boards and second-chance opportunities. For as great as she is offensively, her defensive presence makes her that much more important of a factor for this team. Walsh creates a lot of turnovers from blocks, steals and bad passes and allows Middletown North to take control in games.
Paige Knutsen, SG St. John-Vianney: Knutsen has a lot of attributes similar to that of a forward and uses her size to her advantage on the court. She really excels well moving off-ball, creating space for herself to find her look and get open. She’s a fantastic passer, with great court vision and she finds ways in crucial opportunities to make things happen for St. John-Vianney. Expect her to really blossom this season and build off of the success of her sophomore year.
Colleen Lillis, SG Matawan Regional: Lillis is a threat anywhere on the court and fills up the stat sheet when she’s in the game. She feeds off the energy of teammate Jada Allen, but is a reliable guard. She can not only drive the lane for a good shot, but she can light it up from the outside on offense. On defense, she’s causing havoc, crashing the boards and creating turnovers. Her success on the soccer field has translated onto the basketball court for sure.
Ahjanae Young, PG/SG Neptune: Young is a dominant combo guard and the arguable leader of Neptune’s junior class, one of the brightest in the division the conference. She is fantastic with the ball, someone who has handles and really thrives when she is driving into the paint. Her game is best played when she’s on the move, both on defense when she’s creating turnovers from steals, and on offense when she’s pushing the fast break. Young is a proven leader at the top of the key and she’s going to help Neptune challenge Red Bank and St. John-Vianney this season.
Lauren Lacey, G/F Wall: Lacey will be one of Wall’s go-to scorers this season after the graduation of two key seniors. Of those returning, she’s the second-highest scorer on the roster and the leading rebounder. Her game is played down low, a combination of crashing the boards and dominating from close-range. Lacey is also the returning leader in steals on Wall’s roster, so expect her to fill the voids of Abby Nonnenberg and Nikki Russo throughout the season.
Stay with Prep Girls Hoops for more player profiles and previews as the 2020/21 New Jersey high school girls basketball season approaches.