Preseason All-HCIAL Watch List Players

We're just heating up when looking at the upcoming 2022-23 New Jersey high school girls basketball season. More players, more teams and hopefully more coverage from us than ever before. Having already begun some watch list content, here are some All-HCIAL Watch List players for the year.   [player_tooltip player_id='325193' first='Jaylyn' last='Orefice'] - 5-9 SF, Union City (2024)   A fantastic season from Orefice last year alongside former teammate Erika Mercedes got her plenty of recognition across the state, deservedly so. This junior forward has been a scoring and shooting machine and should keep up that level of success next season, along with the potential of putting up double-double averages.   [player_tooltip player_id='455779' first='Christina' last='Centeno'] - 5-6 SG/PG, Bayonne (2023)   Centeno was one of the best three-point shooters in the HCIAL last season, knocking down 56 during the year. She was as lockdown a three-point shooter as you could find in the league, making her a threat against any team. She heads into this season the de-facto leader of a strong team that should make waves in the region.   [player_tooltip player_id='333550' first='Tatianna' last='Collins'] - 5-10 SG/SF, Hudson Catholic (2025)   One of two impact freshman from last season, Collins returns as the leading scorer from last year's Hudson Catholic team, a strong player who excels on both sides of the ball. A great scorer, but an even better post player, Collins was a double-double threat last season and should be close to, if not averaging that this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='333551' first='Janaya' last='Meyers'] - 5-8 G, Hudson Catholic (2025)   The other part of the 2025 tandem for Hudson Catholic, Meyers more than impressed as a freshman and like Collins, put up great numbers for both offense and defense. Meyers is more of a guard of the two and will probably morph in to HC's main point guard this season, a role that will benefit her and turn her into not just a great player, but a great leader as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='404231' first='Ava' last='Hyams'] - 5-10 PG, Kearny (2023)   There's nothing we can say about Hyams without saying electric because that's exactly what she is as a player. An incredible scorer, a fantastic shooter, great court vision and awareness and a knack for leadership and how to lead in the most important moments. You look to players like Hyams in key situations to deliver and she'll do just that.   [player_tooltip player_id='404232' first='Maci' last='Covello'] - 5-9 F, Kearny (2023)   Very much the same kind of electric player as her counterpart in Hyams, Covello is the more forward-type of the two, someone who can be relied upon heavily in the middle, a stalwart of sorts, but a scorer just the same. She's the better interior scorer of the two and much more of that necessary interior piece that can keep a team intact.   [player_tooltip player_id='481602' first='Elaine' last='Alcantara'] - 5-8 C/PF, Memorial (2023)   Despite being an undersized center, Alcantara has continued to play hard for Memorial and plays with a high work rate, which has resulted in some fantastic production. One of the better rebounders in the HCIAL, Alcantara hasn't attacked the rim to draw contact as much as she's picked her spots well and found areas that are best for her to score. With last season being her breakout year, more progress should come this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='414300' first='Molly' last='Brown'] - SG, McNair (2023)   Talk about not wasting any time to burst onto the scene, Brown did that and then some in her freshman season for McNair, knocking down 29 three-pointers on the year in just 17 games. Her 17.9 PPG was amongst the highest in the HCIAL and we still have three more years left of her in high school to see how high of a level this playmaker can take her game to.   [player_tooltip player_id='414294' first='Giselle' last='Davis'] - 5-11 SG/SF, Bayonne (2025)   The young influence in the HCIAL is strong heading into the season, with a number of 2025 prospects being in the running from the jump for some postseason honors. Davis is one of them, having a great first season with Bayonne. With Jalaiyah Smith graduating in the spring, that leaves Davis as the probable go-to post presence for this team, and that will only help to strengthen her game that much more.   [player_tooltip player_id='414298' first='Alyssa' last='Stridiron'] - PG/SG, St. Dominic (2025)   We couldn't make a preseason All-HCIAL watch list without including Stridiron on it, and for good reason because wow, what a fantastic guard she's already turned into after just a year of high school basketball. Scoring comes easy for her and she's one of the best pure scorers in the league without a doubt. Much of that comes from inside the perimeter, but we would love her to develop more of an outside shot this season.

We're just heating up when looking at the upcoming 2022-23 New Jersey high school girls basketball season. More players, more teams and hopefully more coverage from us than ever before. Having already begun some watch list content, here are some All-HCIAL Watch List players for the year.