AAU Preview: United NJ 16U Power 24

<p>Time for yet another AAU preview and this one focused on United NJ, one of the most well-run programs in the state and one filled with talent across its four featured teams. Of those four, we'll be talking about the 16U Power 24 team below.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559080' first='Jordan' last='Barnes'] - 5-11 SF, St. Thomas Aquinas (2026)</h2>   <p>All [player_tooltip player_id='559080' first='Jordan' last='Barnes'] needed was some time to get used to the high school game. That was her freshman year, feeling the game out, getting used to the speed and finding her place to shine. Her sophomore year? All-conference, all-region, all-state level performance to be fully honest. Everything clicked for her and she took it and ran with it. Excellent post defender, aggressive offensive threat and a lengthy frame that can direct traffic around her.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601332' first='Annie' last='Conover'] - SG, New Providence (2026)</h2>   <p>You gotta have some shooters, and Conover is a great shooting prospect to have. She's quickly developed into a solid spot-up shooter with great upside. Yes, it's a pick your spot thing, but the best shooters can drain shots from wherever on the floor. Conover hasn't quite reached that level yet, though she's gotten significantly closer as a sophomore, but the more reps she has in catch and shoot situations or even creating her own space, she's going to blossom.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601341' first='Sophia' last='Georgiades'] - 5-7 PG, Ridge (2026)</h2>   <p>You might not have heard about Georgiades, buried in a competitive conference on a sub-.500 team last season. If you haven't let us introduce you to one of the most electric sophomores in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='601341' first='Sophia' last='Georgiades']. Coming off a career year as a sophomore, she's solidified herself as the go-to player for Ridge, a do-it-all guard that's done quite a bit to improve her overall game. Great vision, great awareness, great feel, and a damn good player.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559819' first='Whitney' last='Hobson'] - 5-8 CG, Trinity Hall (2026)</h2>   <p>For a team that's relatively stacked with forwards going into next season, Trinity Hall doesn't have a lot of guard options upcoming. Yes, there are players and there's some depth, but not having [player_tooltip player_id='406947' first='Nina' last='Emnace'] back presents a huge void to fill. Who better to fill that void that [player_tooltip player_id='559819' first='Whitney' last='Hobson'], a player that's steadily improved, but didn't have the space in the starting lineup to break out. Space exists now and this summer is the time for her to step up as a leader at the top of the key to dominate as a junior.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='672140' first='Bridget' last='Rigney'] - G, Trinity Hall (2026)</h2>   <p>As players like Hobson are going to be relied upon more heavily for Trinity Hall next season, so are players like Rigney, a bench player as a sophomore, but potentially no more upcoming. Of those returning, she's sitting around that 5-6 spot, a fringe starter and/or sixth woman option for Trinity Hall. There's only so much you can see in small sample sizes, but Rigney has the feel for the game. She has the skills to produce at a high level. She just needs the playing time to do so.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='564268' first='Toni' last='Pernetti'] - 5-11 G/F, Ramapo (2026)</h2>   <p>Ramapo relied heavily on its sophomore class to carry the freight this past season. Carry they did, going 24-4, one of the leading causes for that success being forward [player_tooltip player_id='564268' first='Toni' last='Pernetti']. There is plenty of defensive depth on this team, averaging 3.2 blocks per game and nearly 10 steals per game, but what the Raiders needed was scoring. Ramapo needed three-point shooting, and along with strong defensive play, Pernetti provided that perimeter spark.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='651485' first='Kaitlyn' last='Platt'] - 5-9 G/WING, Pope John (2027)</h2>   <p>There's Addy, one of the best Class of 2026 prospects in New Jersey and arguably the country, and then one year behind her, there's her sister and teammate, Kaitlyn. The Platt sisters are an unstoppable duo, and it's not shocking how similar their playing styles are. Kaitlyn, though smaller, still plays aggressive down low and has great reach for her size. She's a great passer and even better perimeter defender, but if she works at perimeter shooting this summer, oh boy, NJ isn't ready for her.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601339' first='Natalie' last='Sroka'] - 5-10 SG/SF, Belvidere (2026)</h2>   <p>Like Georgiades, Sroka's name might have gone under-the-radar to some, but get to know this 20-point scorer quickly. One of the most consistent shooters in the Skyland Conference, just an all-around beast of a scorer, and wow does she find ways to complement that with lockdown defense. The summer is a great time for her to work on foul shooting because knowing how often she's making plays in the lane, shooting 80 percent from the line is a massive advantage for her.</p>

Time for yet another AAU preview and this one focused on United NJ, one of the most well-run programs in the state and one filled with talent across its four featured teams. Of those four, we'll be talking about the 16U Power 24 team below.