Prospect Spotlight: Gabby Recinto – Cherokee ’23

When talking about the best of the best in South Jersey, there are a few teams that come to mind. One of those that is at the top of that list is Cherokee, arguably the best in the Olympic Conference and a year removed from a historic 30-1 season. The Chiefs met their maker during the 2021 season as Paul VI emerged as the top of the crop, sweeping the season series in dominant fashion, but don’t count Cherokee out. This team is loaded and with star forward [player_tooltip player_id="134612" first="Alexa" last="Therien"] departing for Boston University, the Chiefs are in need to fill a big void come the 2021-22 season. Enter incoming junior [player_tooltip player_id="134757" first="Gabby" last="Recinto"], Cherokee’s second-leading scorer and just under 10.0 PPG, and a fantastic, versatile player who will be on the clipboards of everyone across the state. Recinto has been carving up AAU teams for Exodus NYC this spring, so we’ll be taking a closer look at some tape of her from last weekend’s The Philly Showcase. Talk about an agile and athletic player, Recinto embodies both of those in a big way and then some. One play that sticks out is a chase-down block she had on a player who had a point-blank scoring opportunity in the lane. Recinto sprinted from across the court, leaped and swatted the ball away before it got even remotely close to the rim. Very impressive stuff there. On the offensive end, she’s a hound in the lane, scooping up second-chance opportunities with authority and welcoming contact on the way up. Seeing her tenacity on the court, especially the aggression she has when it comes to welcoming the big moments, wanting the ball in her hands, shows the hunger she has. One thing that we’re seeing more out of her this spring is the expansion of her game to the perimeter. As a guard/forward combo, she’s very much an all-around player, but she’s never needed to rely on the three-pointer as much as others. However, she’s looking more confident shooting the three than ever before, so while she didn’t shoot much from behind the arc during the 2021 season, expect her to attack the rim in the lane, but also from three. That’s going to be a welcomed addition to her game, another level that will add to Recinto’s dominance on the court. She’s going to have big shoes to fill as the go-to on Cherokee, but based on how she’s played the last few seasons, plus what she’s shown in AAU play so far, Recinto is going to be the next superstar in one of the best programs in New Jersey.