New Jersey Recruiting Update: 4/28
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It’s been a bit since our last recruiting update in New Jersey, but the beginning of a new AAU season in the Garden State has helped to ramp up recent recruiting efforts, especially in the last week. Here’s the latest…
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Continue ReadingIt’s been a bit since our last recruiting update in New Jersey, but the beginning of a new AAU season in the Garden State has helped to ramp up recent recruiting efforts, especially in the last week. Here’s the latest buzz on what high school prospects have been in the recruiting news.
GiGi Battle – Rutgers Prep (2026) offered by Northwestern, Princeton, Boston College, George Washington
Add four Division 1 programs and two Power Five schools to the ever-growing portfolio of offers that 2026 Rutgers Prep prospect GiGi Battle has received just in the last week!
Big Ten school Northwestern and ACC program Boston College highlight the schools that Battle has been offered by, as well as Ivy League power Princeton, the home of St. John Vianney superstar Madison St. Rose.
Battle has deserved all of the additional press after coming into her freshman season with size, height and tenacity on the floor, backing that up in a big way with the Argos. A complementary piece to Mikayla Blakes Mikayla Blakes 5'8" | SG Rutgers Prep | 2024 State NJ in the backcourt, the 5-10 guard averaged 9.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.7 SPG and 0.7 threes a game last season. She’s going to be making some strides in AAU ball and should have an All-Conference type season as a sophomore.
Morgan Matthews Morgan Matthews 6'0" | SG Pennington | 2024 State NJ – Pennington (2024) offered by Northeastern and Providence
The offers haven’t quite come in at the same pace that we’ve personally expected for as lethal of a scorer as Matthews is, but this week, she got some New England love as Northeastern and Providence sent the junior offers.
Having a Big East offer under her belt is massive for Matthews, and she’s played her way into the eyes of basketball fans across the Garden State this season alone. In 24 games with Pennington, Matthews averaged 22.4 PPG, making more than 85 percent of her free throws, along with 2.5 steals a game and more than a made three-pointer a game. Those stats have remained consistent the past two seasons, and should continue that way as a senior.
Kaylan Deveney Kaylan Deveney 6'4" | PF Life Center Academy | 2023 State NJ – Life Center (2023) offered by Rider
Deveney has gotten considerable time in more than one program in New Jersey, starting out with Shawnee, where she was a great shooter and solid scorer, before transferring over to Life Center this season. This week, she got an offer from NJ program Rider.
Deveney will have to make a decision soon as her graduation date is coming up, and Rider is more than a solid option to continue her basketball career at, a Division 1 school playing in the Metro-Atlantic against strong teams. Playing alongside Kiyomi McMiller Kiyomi McMiller 5'8" | PG Life Center Academy | 2024 State NJ definitely helped out her game, and hopefully, we’ll see her playing D1 ball in the fall.
Alexandra Loucopoulos Alexandra Loucopoulos 5'8" | SG Holmdel | 2023 State NJ – Holmdel (2023) commits to Emory
Emory seems to be a hot spot for New Jersey talent as Holmdel star Alexandra Loucopoulos Alexandra Loucopoulos 5'8" | SG Holmdel | 2023 State NJ committed to playing for the Eagles on April 25.
Her last two seasons have been incredibly productive for Holmdel, knocking down 89 three-pointers in 53 games, as well as a 13.2 scoring average, 2.2 assist average and 1.8 steals average in that time. Her production jumped tremendously from her sophomore to junior year, and those numbers continued in consistency through her senior year with the Hornets. Continued success to her in college.
Gabby Vaughn – Camden Catholic (2026) offered by Monmouth
It’s great to see younger talent getting noticed by colleges because Vaughn was great with the Irish last season. Monmouth has since offered her, which the program announced on April 24.
Something important to note about Vaughn, especially because of her ability to score in the interior, block shots, get rebounds and just command the game in the lane, is that she’s going to be a main contributor next season. Aaryn Battle Aaryn Battle 5'8" | SF Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ and Kassidy Thompson Kassidy Thompson 5'9" | SG Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ are graduating, leaving her as a big name to take over and be a playmaker. She’s more than got that clutch gene in her, so it will be a fun transition for Camden Catholic.
Arliana Torres – Toms River North (2023) commits to Connecticut College
The senior guard from TRN made a big jump in production as a senior, and as a result, she got recognized. On April 17, Torres made her college commitment as she’ll be playing at Connecticut College.
This is a player who went from a bench piece in her first few years to equaling her total production from her first three seasons just as a senior, averaging 11.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.1 SPG, 0.8 made threes a game and 0.4 BPG. This jump in production was no fluke, and all Torres needed was an open opportunity and more playing time to show how good of a player she could be on the floor, and she was electric to say the least.