South Jersey’s Best Freshman Forwards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the high school season in New Jersey might be over, there's still plenty of basketball coming up and that means plenty of content from us still to talk about. In this article, we go over to the 2026 prospects, plenty of them with lots of promise coming up. With that being said, this article will discuss South Jersey's best freshman forwards/bigs in the 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601510' first='London' last='Sutton'] - Highland</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sutton was a fantastic defensive asset for Highland last season, doing well on the glass and making great plays down on the post. She's been a strong shot-blocker for the Tartans over the course of the season, but do not discount her ability to cause steals because averaging over three a game, she's disruptive on the court and creates chaos. An overall impressive display of talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='600908' first='Kierstynn' last='O'Donnell'] - Gloucester City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>O'Donnell is like a number of freshman forwards in that her defense has come before her offense. She's seen much greater success in grabbing rebounds and going up to block shots, typical of those who haven't quite developed an offensive game. While her frame alone allows her to have such success, once she realizes that she can use that toward her advantage in offensive post positions, she's going to be spectacular.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601413' first='Jahzara' last='Green'] - Gloucester Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Green has been one of the better offensive-minded forwards we've seen come out of the freshman class, and especially in South Jersey. Rattling off several 20+ point games during the season, she's more than showcased an ability to get to the basket and make things happen. Green plays with energy, but plays with poise just as well, knowing when to turn up the dial.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601508' first='Sianna' last='Wedderburn'] - Glassboro</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wedderburn is another candidate of a player who's gotten off to a hot start defensively, but hasn't yet seen the offense come around for her. That's not to say it won't, but right now, she's finding her footing and has done so in a big way on defense. With some practice over the course of the offseason, she's going to be a dangerous piece for Glassboro next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='559045' first='Gabrielle' last='Vaughn'] - Camden Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In our minds, the cornerstone prospect in South Jersey for the 2026 class, Vaughn looks like a college-ready player already. She was able to contribute off the bat for Camden Catholic and produced against some tough competition during the season. Vaughn knows her way around the basket offensively, and can utilize her height well to get to shots, grab rebounds or cause turnovers defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601279' first='Talia' last='Shumate'] - Winslow Township</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shumate had it all working for Winslow Township as a freshman and poster her first high school double-double on February 6 against Seneca. She's an aggressive forward on the post who's found ways to make things happen on both sides of the ball. Being able to get to the foul line and also create space on her own gives promise to many more double-doubles during her career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='601416' first='Ava' last='Rodgers'] - Salem </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It took Rodgers really until her 14th game to get things going as a freshman, and looking at her final 11 games of the season, what a turnaround and what a breakout stretch. Three double-doubles, six 10+ point games and four 10+ rebound games for Salem. Additionally, she averaged 2.1 BPG and 1.9 SPG, playing with confidence and wanting the spotlight on her to make plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->