Top Shore Conference Forwards – B North

The wait is over, but not entirely over for the start of girls basketball in New Jersey, but practices have officially started back up. We’re nearly there, closing in on the final week or so of preparations before the 2021 season gets underway. It will be significantly condensed compared to that of seasons prior, with a maximum 15-game schedule and no NJSIAA-sponsored state tournaments, but the intensity will still be there at the same level it has been. Prep Girls Hoops has been finding the best talent throughout the Garden State, and that continues in this article as PGH looks at the top forwards in the B North region of the Shore Conference. <strong>Megan Cahalan, St. John Vianney:</strong> Cahalan will be one of the veteran presences on St. John Vianney this season and she is more than qualified to take up a role like that as the third-leading returning scorer and second-leading returning rebounder. She averaged 6.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG and just over 1.0 BPG and 1.0 SPG during the 2019-20 season and her eyes are set on double-digit scoring averages in 2021. With St. John Vianney’s current scoring onslaught, Cahalan should have no problem getting her scoring opportunities. Not only that, but her defense is going to shine this season, and she could average multiple blocks and steals a game. <strong>Laila Kendle, Neptune:</strong> Kendle’s presence was felt significantly on the boards last season and she’s Neptune’s leading returning rebounder going into the 2021 season. She averaged just under 5.7 RPG in 2019-20, along with 1.1 APG and 1.7 SPG. Her senior season will be her most important one as Neptune lost two key seniors coming into 2021. Kendly will not only be needed on the rebounding end more, but she will be asked to make her presence felt on the offensive end immensely. Expect her to put up close to double-digit rebounds and somewhere between 5-7.0 PPG. <strong>Chance Gagliardi, Colts Neck:</strong> Gagliardi is going to be asked to pick up some of the scoring void that senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="134588" first="Camryn" last="Foltz"] left after graduating last spring. Gagliardi is the perfect person for this as she’s going into her senior season and was a key piece as a junior, averaging 7.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.2 BPG and 1.4 SPG. She hasn’t reached her ceiling yet, which is a forward who is dominant in the middle and can put up double-double stats. She already has shown the potential of that, though she’ll need to have a big increase during the 2021 season. That is well within her grasp, so watch out for some senior year domination. <strong>Sophia Memon, Middletown North:</strong> The Lions struggled during the 2019-20 season, going 8-18, but Memon is a key returning piece that will help bolster Middletown North, who will be coming into the 2021 season having lost several impact seniors. Memon brings a high-octane combination of size and strength, but don’t let her stats fool you. She averaged 4.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, but where she stood out the most was her 1.6 BPG. Her 42 blocks were among the highest in the conference, so the added scoring and rebounding will give her two more dimensions to her game. <strong>Gianna Aiello, Matawan:</strong> Aiello might be the best forward in the region, which you wouldn’t think coming out of a Matawan program that struggled during the 2019-20 season, going 6-19, but her stats jumped off the statsheet. She was one of a select few forwards last season to post double-double averages, putting up 10.0 PPG and 10.3 RPG, while also averaging 1.4 BPG and 1.8 SPG. She is one of three players on this Matawan team that are extremely talented and should help this program compete in 2021. Aiello will be heading the charge, now in her senior season, to end her high school career on a high note. Continue to follow Prep Girls Hoops for more player profiles and team previews as the 2021 New Jersey high school girls basketball season nears.