PGH NJ 2021-22 Team Preview: Woodbury
Woodbury had one of its best seasons in program history during its 2019-20 season, finishing as NJSIAA South Jersey Group 1 sectional champions with a 24-7 record overall. It was an incredible year for the Thundering Herd, who defeated Wildwood…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWoodbury had one of its best seasons in program history during its 2019-20 season, finishing as NJSIAA South Jersey Group 1 sectional champions with a 24-7 record overall.
It was an incredible year for the Thundering Herd, who defeated Wildwood in that sectional final to reach the Group 1 semis, where their season ended at the hands of Bound Brook.
What followed was a gut punch and massive regression during the Covid-shortened 2021 spring season.
Woodbury went just 5-10 as the season previous was led by a senior-heavy group that had either four or five starters or seniors playing on the court at once.
Having to replace all of that production was extremely difficult and was something head coach Rahmod Noel battled with throughout.
Now, the Thundering Herd come into the 2021-22 season with a fresh slate and aspirations to repeat the level of success that came two years previous.
Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey continues its season preview series with a look at Woodbury, a program shortly removed from greatness looking to get back to the top of the pedestal.
The Thundering Herd got a massive upgrade before the season in junior standout Alexis Davis Alexis Davis 6'0" | SF Woodbury | 2023 State NJ , who transferred from Glassboro.
Davis put up near 30-15 numbers last season for Glassboro and already has 1000 career points in her high school career.
There’s no question that Davis is going to make a big impact for Woodbury and by season’s end, she’ll be up for All-Conference and Player of the Year honors.
Senior JaNazha Clinton is the other big name player to watch out for this season after a stellar spring for Woodbury, averaging 11.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and one made three-point field goal a game.
Clinton led the Thundering Herd in scoring, rebounding and three-point shooting as a junior and despite the addition of Davis, she’ll continue to be a threat from beyond the arc and should once again post double-figure scoring averages.
Senior Ivory Still is expected to be a starter this year, a great guard who led Woodbury in passing as a junior and was second in scoring at 6.0 PPG.
Still and Clinton will share the point guard duties and will be a solid guard tandem as Davis holds down the fort in the middle as the main forward for this team.
Junior Isabelle Ecker and sophomore Diamyndh Oakley are both interesting cases form the guard position this season.
Oakley was third on the team in scoring at 4.8 PPG as a freshman and should continue to get consistent time on the floor while Ecker led the team in steals and was tied for second in three-point shooting.
Expect both to be either sixth-woman options or starters depending on the game.
Junior Nyah Nelson averaged nearly 4.0 PPG last season and provides more stability and depth at the guard position, though a bench spot to begin the season seems more likely.
That scoring will come in handy as she was very productive while on the floor for the Thundering Herd in the spring.
A few more bench options to discuss as more depth pieces are seniors Sarah Foster and Tanayjah Moore-Toole, and junior Stephania Olvera.
Adding a player like Davis to the mix has thrusted Woodbury into the conversation to be the best team in the Colonial Conference and with the depth that returns from last season, this team is no pretender; they’re a contender.