PGH NJ 2021-22 Team Preview: Roselle
New Jersey’s Union County Conference (UCC) has had some fantastic programs over the years and great players up and down the conference. In recent years, the UCC has seen its member schools compete amongst the best in the state when…
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Continue ReadingNew Jersey’s Union County Conference (UCC) has had some fantastic programs over the years and great players up and down the conference.
In recent years, the UCC has seen its member schools compete amongst the best in the state when it comes to girls basketball.
Four teams during the Covid-shortened spring season finished with 10+ wins and another four had nine or more.
One of those nine-win teams was Roselle, a program that has been a competitor in the Valley division for a good period of time now.
Despite finishing two games out of the division crown from Dayton, the Rams were dominant in divisional play.
Last season, Roselle had a thin, 10-person roster with four freshman and while two seniors graduated, the Rams have re-loaded with talent and have two fantastic seniors this season who are going to be the centerpieces on a competitive roster.
Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey continues its season preview series with a look at Roselle, a program looking to replicate recent season success in the UCC.
The two most impactful losses coming into this season are last season’s graduating seniors, Maddison Vaughn and Onyinye Anaduaka.
Vaughn was the team’s leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker, a fantastic forward, and Anaduaka complemented her well down on the block.
Luckily, both have sisters who were actually teammates last season, starting with senior Kennedy Vaughn, one of two leaders the Rams will have this winter.
Vaughn nearly missed out on averaging double-figures in scoring as a junior, but her senior season is expected to be all-conference worthy.
The same goes for fellow senior Jamilah Hayles, who is a potential double-double candidate with both impact forwards from last season no longer on the team.
That opens up more space for Hayles to utilize and dominate the lane when she can, and it allows for teammates to get more open looks around the floor on offense.
Anaduaka’s sister, Chinazon, is now in her sophomore season after coming off the bench as a freshman.
More openings on the roster have given her a prime opportunity to get much more playing time and compete during the season for a starting spot.
The same goes for Basirah Amodu and Sabrina Davis, both of which were also bench players in the spring and were also freshmen.
Monica Mitchell is the other surefire starter coming into the year along with Vaughn and Hayles. The junior was a starter last season and finished fourth in assists and third in blocks.
Mitchell’s numbers didn’t jump off the page as a sophomore, but with more emphasis on her, her production levels on the floor should at least double this season if not more.
Roselle had a thin roster to work with last season and that trend continues into the 2021-22 season.
If last season’s freshmen can step up and they can get more contributions from new faces coming in this year, the Rams will have no trouble competing this winter.