Akiem’s Long Island 2025 Players to Watch (Part 2)

With Long Island being such a talent-rich area, it will surely take several articles to spotlight every notable from the senior class from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. That is where we at Prep Girls Hoops come in.   It will not be long before the basketball courts of Long Island will draw the focus of many a sports fan. It is one of the most talent-heavy regions in New York, the northeast and, arguably, the entire country.    We began our series spotlighting seniors with our initial article. Now, let us take a look at even more from the class of 2025 to keep on one's brain as the start of the season lurks.     In our latest 2025 Prep Girls Hoops rankings, Orbon was placed on the watchlist. A standout of New Hyde Park, she has also partaken in other sports throughout her career – including softball. Orbon had junior varsity experience before eventually working her way up to the varsity squad. Defensively, the combination of her heads-up attitude and her active hands can make things very difficult for opposing ball handlers. A 3-point shot is part of her offensive arsenal and she can have plenty of games where she proves herself to be every bit as effective a rebounder as she is a scorer.     Palmore has a stacked athletic plate at Southampton. Said athletic schedule has also included track and field events in addition to field hockey. Basketball-wise, Palmer understands the art of putting plenty of points on the scoreboard – including when she dropped 30 on Shelter Island two seasons ago. The 2023-24 campaign for the Mariners was one of a rebuild after graduating several seniors from the previous campaign. It displayed itself in how Southampton only notched one win on the season – a 44-30 decision over Wyandanch on the road. A returning Palmore looks to ensure the Mariners are in the win column much more in 2024-25.     Softball may be the primary sport on Zicchinelli's wish list, but that has not prevented this veteran standout of Miller Park from also excelling on the basketball hardwood. Recently, Zicchinelli announced her commitment to Molloy University for softball. Field hockey is another athletic discipline that she has excelled at. Basketball-wise, she primarily is a frontcourt player. Noteworthy games Zicchinelli had last season including scoring 11 points in a 50-36 victory over Smithtown Christian and tallying 14 in a 47-22 decision over Vandermeulen-Port Jefferson. She had another 14-point performance in a 48-42 win over Wyandanch. All in all, Zicchinelli averaged 12.2 points for the season for the Panthers.     Another multi-sport standout, Zawol excels and them some every bit as much on the soccer pitch as she does on the basketball court. She posted impressive numbers in 2023-24 at Kings Park. She averaged 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 steals per game last season. Zawol's stellar play was a huge reason why Kings Park finished a mark of 19-6 – along with going 11-1 in its Section 11 A-5. She is an efficient floor runner who particularly thrives with amking plays in transition. Her versatility shows itself as she can give a team productive minutes as either a two in the backcourt or as a three in the frontcourt. Another element of her offensive game? A long range jump shot.

With Long Island being such a talent-rich area, it will surely take several articles to spotlight every notable from the senior class from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. That is where we at Prep Girls Hoops come in.