Underrated NJSIAA North Jersey Group IV Forwards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Jersey is one of the more basketball-rich areas of the state and of the country. This season, we're expecting nothing but fantastic competition from the area. With so many great players, that leaves a number of under-the-radar prospects still around that haven't received quite the attention that they deserve. Let's look at some Group IV underrated forwards from North Jersey in preparation for the high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='482332' first='Jackie' last='Gunderman'] - PF/C, Bergen Tech (2023)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gunderman got the lay of the land last year at Bergen Tech in her first full year on varsity, really getting acclimated to the level of play. While it was, in many respects, a feeler year for her at Bergen Tech, she excelled under the basket and down on the post. A relatively taller forward, she's done well at taking advantage of her size in the paint. What will be asked of her this season will be quite the step up from last, but the natural progression of growth should fit well for her development.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='482287' first='Leah' last='Connell'] - PF, Columbia (2023)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Likely to star in the frontcourt alongside [player_tooltip player_id='482281' first='Allie' last='Harris'], Connell is the most traditional forward of the three or so that Columbia can go with this upcoming season. [player_tooltip player_id='404230' first='Shana' last='Desir'] has shown to be much more versatile and more of a guard than a forward, and Harris has shown an ability to shoot from the outside as well. However, Connell's game is more heavily concentrated inside the perimeter, which suits her well. It's also allowed her to focus more on defense and rebounding.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sofia Morino - 5-9 SF/PF, Ridgewood (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Morino has quite literally been thrusted into the spotlight for Ridgewood as with the departure of senior forwards Shea Gorman, Courtney McKenna and Paisley Tornatore, that leave her as the lone impact forward left. While this can be seen as daunting for Morino, she looked comfortable as a forward last season, doing a great job of rebounding and posting up on opponents. She held her ground and defended well when called upon, and she'll be called upon plenty more next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alicia Murphy - 6-0 C/PF, Scotch Plains-Fanwood (2023)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This six-foot center has a lot of positive momentum behind her after another solid season for Scotch Plains-Fanwood last season. Murphy is on the cusp of that big, breakout year of double-doubles, multiple blocks a game and complete domination of the interior. We haven't quite seen that yet, though that very well could be coming this season. She's finding her footing in her tall frame and that's leading to better box-outs, more contested shots, more rebounds and more intimidation for opponents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489002' first='Aviva' last='Palms'] - PF, Woodbridge (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of the two frontcourt options to choose from with Woodbridge, we decided to go with Palms, an exciting prospect that plays aggressive on the interior. A more aggressive style of play lends itself to that of a strong rebounder and great shot-blocker, both of which Palms has excelled in over the last year or so. Making such great strides from her freshman year was big for her, but from watching her play, it's become more expected. With three double-doubles already in her pocket, we'll be seeing plenty more coming up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->