AAU Preview: Jersey Gemz 17U EYBL

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's about that time to get into our AAU coverage and we have plenty of AAU coverage coming up. We're anticipating an exciting spring and summer on the circuit and New Jersey will be more than well-represented in the mix. We start our preview series looking at Jersey Gemz, one of the premier AAU organizations in the state, and their 17U EYBL team this spring/summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='325189' first='Cristina' last='Parrella'] - Saddle River Day (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parrella comes off arguably her best high school season to date with Saddle River Day, averaging 16.2 PPG in 16 games played. She was a volume shooter, hitting nearly two three-pointers a game, and showed success on the boards and in the passing game, averaging 3.3 APG. At 5-10, she's a versatile piece on the floor, showing frontcourt and backcourt qualities that allow her to flourish on both sides of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='431238' first='Katie' last='Collins'] - Manasquan (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The growth in her game is evident and has definitely shown through as the junior had her most productive season, very much growing into her 6-2 build on the floor for Manasquan. Averaging over a block and steal a game, she's become a more effective player on the post, not to mention an agile frontcourt player, one who can pass, shoot and grab boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='325206' first='Demi' last='Simpson'] - Teaneck (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simpson has always been a more defensive-first kind of player, or at least that's what's shown through statistically, but the offense this season definitely made a considerable jump. Nearly averaging a double-double, with 8.8 PPG, just under 11 RPG, along with 3.1 BPG and 1.4 SPG, she's emerged as one of the best forwards in the state and definitely one of the best rebounding forwards out there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='325188' first='Zahra' last='Alexander'] - Rutgers Prep (2024) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexander's stats might not jump off the page like others, but where she might lack numbers-wise, she more than makes up for with her defense. She's easily one of the best one-on-one defenders in the state and has clamped up some of the best players in the state with ease. It's really a testament to her aggression, but added maturity on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='397076' first='Iriona' last='Gravley'] - Williamstown (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What an impressive year we saw from Gravley last season increasing her points per game by 1.4 PPG and her rebounds per game by over one rebound. That includes a career-high 13 double-doubles, not backing down from any challenge against any other forward. Her defensive post presence grew in stature as well, averaging 2.1 BPG and 1.3 SPG in 29 games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='325217' first='Julia' last='Karpell'] - St. John Vianney (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The newest commit to Fairfield University, Karpell plays so well on one of the nation's best teams and owns her role as a spot-up shooter and volume shooter for the Lady Lancers. Not only did she increase her points per game by three points, she was knocking down nearly 1.8 three-pointers a game, with 17 games of 2+ made threes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='325184' first='Joi' last='Johnson'] - Ewing (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What more can be said about Johnson that we haven't said before. An elite defender, an aggressive scorer and a balanced player overall, she averaged 15.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.6 BPG and 1.7 SPG for the Blue Devils, one of the main pieces on a state championship-winning team. We are curious to see whether she'll continue to play down on the post or try to expand her shooting game more to the midrange.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='488728' first='Camryn' last='Gardner'] - Red Bank Regional (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Injuries shortened up Gardner's junior year with Red Bank Regional, but in 11 games, she averaged 9.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 3.4 BPG for the Bucs, a really impressive season in a small sample size. She's getting oh so close to a double-double average, and her post play will be on display with the Gemz this spring/summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='491718' first='Morgan' last='Matthews'] - Pennington School (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We round this out with talking about one of the best prep school players in the state and the country in Matthews, an exciting and electric player with the ball in her hand. Averaging 22.4 PPG in 24 games, she averaged over 20 points a game for the first time in her career, scoring 20 or more points in 19 of 25 games. In the 2024 class, it's hard to find a better pure scorer than her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->