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<p>Even at the beginning of summer, it's never too late to talk about the best of the best over the past season of high school girls basketball in New Jersey. We are continuing to give love to the freshmen, the 2026 prospects, specifically focusing on the Union County Conference as we give out our All-Freshman team awards.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601280' first='Jah'nae' last='Lembrick'] - Elizabeth</h2>
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<p>The Mountain Division winners were led in scoring by Lembrick last season as she burst onto the scene in impressive fashion, leading the charge as a guard. In 24 games, she averaged 10.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG and just over two assists a game while recording nearly four steals a game. She's quick to the ball and quick to making plays, giving fits to opponents throughout the season as one of the steals leaders in the conference.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601329' first='Briana' last='Holt'] - Roselle</h2>
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<p>Anyone who averages a double-double out of the gates is going to get the immediate seal of approval from Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey. Holt did just that and then some for Roselle, averaging 10.7 PPG and 10.9 RPG in 24 games, dominating the boards well. What we're looking for in year two for Holt is that added aggression defensively a trait that will serve her well to move into the elite category of forwards in North Jersey.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601284' first='Julia' last='Lettini'] - Johnson</h2>
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<p>Lettini is another versatile type player, a frontcourt player able to switch off and make plays as needed in the backcourt. She impressed greatly for Johnson, leading the team in scoring at 8.7 PPG and rebounding at 7.0 RPG in 22 games. The back end of her season was strong, with nine double-digit performances and two double-doubles in her final 14 games overall. Really impressive freshman year with plenty of room to grow in her game.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559077' first='Sidney' last='Smith'] - Roselle Catholic</h2>
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<p>It's incredible the 1-2 punch that Roselle Catholic now has with [player_tooltip player_id='414347' first='Jasmin' last='McKay'] and Smith on its roster moving forward because what a freshman season from Smith. She is easily our pick for UCC Freshman of the Year, averaging 15.5 PPG in 26 games with 2.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and just over two made three-pointers a game. She's one of the best shooters in the conference and when it comes to scoring, she can rival the best of them in the UCC.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='635514' first='Imani' last='Mullings'] - Plainfield</h2>
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<p>Mullings impressed in 21 games with Plainfield as a freshman, a strong showing for what we hope will be a stellar high school career. She averaged just under nine points a game offensively, knocking down close to a three-pointer a contest with 2.6 RPG and 3.3 APG. She was also a defensive stalwart, with around 2.5 steals per game, a nuisance at the top of the key to deal with and the catalyst for many fast break opportunities.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559079' first='Kayla' last='Duncan'] - Union Catholic</h2>
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<p>The sharp-shooter from beyond the arc has arrived and she definitely wasn't afraid to shoot the three as a freshman with Union Catholic. Over 1.5 made threes in 22 games while averaging 11 PPG. The consistency was there for much of the season, though Duncan did struggle by season's end. Regardless, she averaged around four rebounds and assists a game with over three steals a contest to boot.</p>
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Even at the beginning of summer, it's never too late to talk about the best of the best over the past season of high school girls basketball in New Jersey. We are continuing to give love to the freshmen, the 2026 prospects, specifically focusing on the Union County Conference as we give out our All-Freshman team awards.
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