New Jersey Recruiting Update – 2/11/23
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It’s about time we gave an update about recruiting in New Jersey, from offers to commitments to official visits and more. Our last update from Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey came over a month ago on January 4, meaning we…
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Continue ReadingIt’s about time we gave an update about recruiting in New Jersey, from offers to commitments to official visits and more. Our last update from Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey came over a month ago on January 4, meaning we have a lot to talk about across the state and there’s definitely been plenty of buzz.
Joy LeCato – Camden Catholic (2023) commits to Stockton
Our first player to talk about is the first player since our last update to announce something about her recruiting process. The senior from Camden Catholic announced on January 6 her commitment to play at Stockton.
You might not have seen much of her on varsity, being one of the better junior varsity players for the Irish over the past few years, but she’s getting her opportunity on varsity this season and has been a solid complimentary piece off the bench.
Shariah Baynes Shariah Baynes 5'6" | SG Paul VI | 2024 State NJ – Paul VI (2024) offered by Stony Brook
Baynes has received a number of offers so far in her high school career and on January 9, America East school Stony Brook was the latest to offer the junior out of Paul VI.
Baynes has become a much more consistent scorer and playmaker for Paul VI this season, averaging nearly nine points a game for the Eagles and roughly four assists a game. Her defense has been an integral part of her overall success, averaging more than two steals a game so far.
Daniella Matus Daniella Matus 5'10" | CG St. John Vianney | 2025 State NJ – Morris Catholic (2025) offered by Stony Brook, UMass
Matus, one of three incredible sophomore talents that Morris Catholic has, received two offers during the month of January, on the 9th and 14th, respectively. It turns out Baynes wasn’t the only one to receive an offer from Stony Brook as Matus received the same two days later, followed by the Atlantic 10 program in UMass five days later.
These add onto more than a handful of offers that Matus has already received in just her second season in high school and she’s more than earned them, averaging 12.5 PPG and 2.2 made three-pointers a game for the Crusaders this season. She’s averaging 13.8 PPG for her career and already surpassed the 100 three-pointer mark.
Alexis Rosenfeld Alexis Rosenfeld 6'2" | C Morris Catholic | 2024 State NJ – Morris Catholic (2024) offered by NJIT
There’s a reason why Rosenfeld keeps popping up in articles and on our feed and it’s because simply put, she’s one of the best forwards in the state. Colleges are starting to take notice as on January 14, Rosenfeld received an offer from NJIT.
She’s nearly averaging a double-double on the year and has posted 10 double-doubles in 22 games, most recently, an 18-point, 18-rebound performance over Randolph. Rosenfeld is also averaging more than a block and a steal per game with the Crusaders, having the breakout season we’ve been looking for on the high school scene.
Ava Eberly Ava Eberly 5'10" | SG Williamstown | 2023 State NJ – Williamstown (2023) commits to Cabrini University
Eberly was one of several South Jersey prospects to commit in January, announcing on the 21st that she would be staying local and playing at Cabrini University.
Talk about a steady progression of improvement, Eberly has done that and then some for Williamstown and as one of its veteran leaders and playmakers this season, she’s stepped into a larger role and produced. She has a career-high in made three-pointers and steals per game this season, averaging just a shade under 10 PPG for the Braves.
Nia Clemons Nia Clemons SF St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State NJ – St. Thomas Aquinas (2023) commits to Caldwell
Clemons has seemingly found a new gear of success this season for St. Thomas Aquinas and on January 25, she announced that she’ll be continuing her basketball career at the next level, playing for Caldwell.
Clemons, despite being a six-foot forward, is one of the best facilitators in the state and is averaging 9.2/6.9/4.5 this season for STA, along with 1.8 SPG. Having that level of versatility and flexibility with one’s game at that height and length is fantastic moving forward.
Angelina Dragone – Our Lady of Mercy (2023) commits to Catholic UofA
Another South Jersey prospect made her commitment known as on January 29, the forward from OLMA announced she would be heading to the nation’s capital to play at Catholic University of America.
Dragone has always been one of the better defensive forwards down south on the Jersey Shore, but this season has seemingly been her best all-around campaign as her offense took a leap and she’s been posting double-doubles more consistently, with nine already, nearly double that of her junior year.
Julia Parmelee Julia Parmelee 5'3" | PG Rutgers Prep | 2023 NJ – Rutgers Prep (2023) commits to Albright
Parmelee is a player who’s play hasn’t been nearly seen enough in high school because of the logjam of talent that exists at Rutgers Prep, but her work on the AAU circuit has allowed her to play basketball at the next level as it was announced on January 30 that she committed to Albright.
Playing for Team Miller, Parmelee has been quite the offensive asset and all-around guard presence that can build and grow into an important role player and eventual starter at Albright. The talent and tools are there and she’s an undiscovered talent waiting to blossom in college.
Bellisima Lew – Paramus Catholic (2023) signs with Moravian
If you’re looking for a defensive-forward player to follow for the remainder of the season, look no further than Lew, who has been one of the best rebounders for Paramus Catholic over the past two years. On February 8, she signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Moravian.
In the past two years alone, Lew has totaled more than 310 rebounds, averaging 6.3 RPG in that span and 7.7 RPG this season for the Paladins. Her offense is something that has slowly been coming along, but at the college level, should grow exponentially in terms of success.
Joi Johnson Joi Johnson 5'11" | PF Ewing | 2024 State NJ – Ewing (2024) offered by Fairleigh Dickinson
We’re going to be finishing up this article with offers received by two of Ewing’s big three, the first being Joi Johnson Joi Johnson 5'11" | PF Ewing | 2024 State NJ , who recently crossed 1000 career points for the Blue Devils. She announced that she received an offer from Fairleigh Dickinson on February 10.
Excelling in all facets of the game, Johnson is averaging 16.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.6 BPG and 1.6 SPG for the Blue Devils as a junior. The past two seasons at Ewing have seen her score more than 400 total points each year.
Rhian Stokes Rhian Stokes 5'8" | PG Ewing | 2024 State NJ – Ewing (2024) offered by Northeastern
The final player we will be discussing in this article is the star junior guard from Ewing who has easily been one of the best overall guards in the state the past three years. On February 11, Stokes announced that she received an offer from Northeastern.
Also a member of the 1000 point club, Stokes is nearly averaging 20 PPG, with a current statline of 19.2/6.5/6.4 in 25 games. She also is currently averaging 6.5 SPG, has knocked down 46 threes on the year and is shooting around 80 percent at the line for Ewing.