AAU Preview: NJ Rise 17U National Team

The 2022-2023 high school season has officially wrapped but the basketball continues throughout Spring and Summer! This AAU season may prove one of the most exciting yet, as several teams throughout the Garden State are represented by tremendous talents that had career-best seasons and truly made an impact on their respective teams. Let's take a sneak peek at the NJ Rise 17U National Team, coached by the remarkable Ali Napolitano:   <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">Date</td><td>Event</td><td>Location</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">March 18-19</td><td>Shoreshots</td><td>Neptune, NJ</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">March 25-26</td><td>Premier 1 Philly Hardwood Classic</td><td>West Chester, PA</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">April 15-16</td><td>Gemz</td><td>Union, NJ</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">April 21-23 (live period)</td><td>Boo Williams</td><td>Hampton, VA</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">May 6</td><td>**potential scrimmage** </td><td>TBD</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">May 13-14</td><td>NJ Spring Classic</td><td>Manalapan, NJ</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">May 19-21 (live period)</td><td>Atlantic City Showcase</td><td>Atlantic City, NJ</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">June 3-4</td><td>Comets</td><td>West Chester, PA</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">June 10-11</td><td>Select Events "Prime Event East"</td><td>Manheim, PA</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">July 6-8 (live period)</td><td>Rose Classic</td><td>Louisville, KY</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">July 9-11 (live period)</td><td>Roses Championship</td><td>Louisville, KY</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-left" data-align="left">July 21-23 (live period)</td><td>Select Events Showcase</td><td>Manheim, PA</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">*tentative 2023 schedule</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='488729' first='Savannah' last='Butz'] - Colts Neck (2024)   At 6'0", she's long and lean with great reach and excellent rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. She had career highs this past season in every statistical category and will look to continue that momentum and have it translate over into thrilling success on the circuit. She is very mobile and agile, has excellent timing around the rim and does a tremendous job of drawing fouls and getting to the charity stripe. Her incredible rebounding, especially on the O-boards, will give this team a lot of second-chance opportunities to score.   [player_tooltip player_id='488762' first='Kasey' last='Bretones'] - Mainland (2024)   The PGH NJ Cape-Atlantic League First Team honoree gives this team incredible explosiveness and offensive firepower. Her strong, athletic frame allows her to drive inside and finish through contact even against the most elite defenders. In addition to her offensive prowess, she brings scrappy, tenacious defense to the table, as she is an absolute menace lock-down defender.   Halley Cottrell - Monroe (2024)   Halley will look to continue her hot shooting from behind the arc that she possessed all season long. She knocked down 49 of them in just 25 games, good for just about 2 3-pointers per contest... and most of those came despite being face-guarded! She knows how to effectively come off screens and bury shots with her excellent timing and quick-release. When she gets hot and catches fire, she's tough to extinguish!   [player_tooltip player_id='325209' first='Hope' last='Masonius'] - Manasquan (2024)   The Masonius bloodline is rich with talent, from big sister Faith to little sister Hope. If there is one player on this stacked squad that can truly hurt you from anywhere on the floor, it's her! She plays much bigger than her 5'9" frame suggests and can crash the boards with the best of them. Her 204 rebounds in 29 games serve as proof of her excellent rebounding abilities. She is a crafty ball handler that can take opponents the entire length of the court before she drives in and lays it up for 2. Her mid-range game is tough to defend, as is her ability to knock down the occasional 3. Hope is a stunningly versatile player.   Isabella Diaz - Notre Dame (2025)   At 6'1", Izzy gives this squad a tough interior force. Coming off a stellar sophomore season with the Irish, she posted six double-figure rebounding games on her to a grand total of 177 rebounds, good for just under 7 per game. She is a fearless player who uses her size and wingspan to defend and deflect, creating frustration for her opponent and ultimately causing turnovers.   [player_tooltip player_id='488723' first='Erin' last='Mayerhofer'] - Middletown South (2024)   Coming off a sensational high school season that saw her double her points production and nearly triple her rebounding from the season before, Erin come into this AAU season riding a wave of confidence! She proved she can be a huge scoring threat, scoring in double figure eight times and knocking down forty-three bombs from deep. Her shooting ability makes her a combo guard, who possess extreme quickness combined with superb handles. She is a handful to contain, that's for sure.   [player_tooltip player_id='501852' first='McKenna' last='Karlson'] - Manasquan (2024)   The team chemistry Hope and McKenna share at Manasquan will be a huge asset for this squad. McKenna is a two-way player and will look to assert her dominance on the defensive end, where she racked up 54 steals in 28 games with her aggressive lock-down defense. Offensively, she has emerged as a force! Her efficient baseline drives coupled with her lethal range from 3 serves as testimony of her versatile all-court game.   [player_tooltip player_id='462152' first='Katerina' last='Dakos'] - Newark Academy (2024)   One of the most prolific scorers this past season, Kat lit it up in her junior year with 403 points for the Minutemen! Her quickness and length gave opponents problems all season long, as she was difficult to defend because of her innate ability to score it from anywhere. She makes it look effortless out there, whether she's knocking down a clutch 3 or driving inside and finishing with her left. Defensively, she's a nightmare for opponents as she reads the passing lanes well and confidently disrupts them for the steal. Her stock seems to rise exponentially with every game played; and just as she was for Newark Academy, she looks to be a mega-star on the circuit for this Rise squad!   [player_tooltip player_id='406946' first='Siobhan' last='Stapleton'] - Trinity Hall (2024)   Siobhan is flat-out special! She is a versatile player with great size, tremendous court vision and stellar defense. Her 6'0" frame plays a crucial role in her elite court-vision to set up her teammates and her ability to deflect shots and serve as this team's rim-protector. She also has a dangerous spot-up game from 3 that can bury defenders and is physical when crashing the glass for rebounds and providing second-chance opportunities. She is the epitome of a complete player.

The 2022-2023 high school season has officially wrapped but the basketball continues throughout Spring and Summer! This AAU season may prove one of the most exciting yet, as several teams throughout the Garden State are represented by tremendous talents that had career-best seasons and truly made an impact on their respective teams. Let's take a sneak peek at the NJ Rise 17U National Team, coached by the remarkable Ali Napolitano: