Underrated Talents in the NJAC

<p>Where to start, where to start in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. That's the question as we are mere days from the beginning of the high school girls basketball season in New Jersey. One thing is for sure: the NJAC blessed with a plethora of talent, up-and-down the conference. We'll be taking a look below at some more underrated names to watch out for this winter.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='879578' first='Halle' last='Ferrara'] - Mendham (2025)</h2>   <p>Mendham is going to look like a much different team this season without the presence of Lia Manuel, who balled out as a senior. However, for as much as the program has lost in Manuel's presence, they're going to gain as [player_tooltip player_id='879578' first='Halle' last='Ferrara'] enters her senior season. Highly-talented player in her own right who seems poised to really take over as the playmaker for this team, and she's shown that she can fit that role seamlessly.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='879858' first='Charlee' last='Perna'] - Morris Knolls (2025)</h2>   <p>Perna is coming off an impressive season for a program that challenged for the top of the National division, but came up short in the end. Way too early to tell what the Golden Eagles will whip up this season, but having a sharp-shooter like her entering her senior season will certainly bring a lot of production to the court. Perna will be the featured player on this team and has a big opportunity to break out.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='871270' first='Tori' last='Wehmeyer'] - West Morris (2026)</h2>   <p>There's quite a few players to choose from with West Morris as the Wolfpack have a strong batch of returners for this program. We've decided to focus on Wehmeyer, who put together an impressive sophomore season and carved out a definite role for herself on this team. One of the better shooters while being a great presence down low, we're encouraged by what we've seen defensively from her, no doubt.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1048712' first='Juliet' last='Johnson'] - Morris Hills (2027)</h2>   <p>Johnson's freshman season was impressive to say the least. Out of the gates, the forward showed that she was more than able to command the paint and make opponents frustrated with her game. She's a future double-double machine with great mobility on the interior and a strong presence on the glass and around the basket. Fantastic instincts and an impressive defensive skillset.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='879822' first='Devon' last='Johnson'] - Madison (2025)</h2>   <p>When looking at Madison from the outside, the attention is going to go toward [player_tooltip player_id='414424' first='Charlotte' last='Tuhy'] after what she's been able to accomplish for that program in the past three years. However, alongside her is a a player who's been a complementary presence down low, plays physical and makes some big-time plays as a result of it in [player_tooltip player_id='879822' first='Devon' last='Johnson']. Potential candidate for double-double averages as a senior.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='871379' first='Cara' last='Fitzpatrick'] - Villa Walsh (2026)</h2>   <p>Villa Walsh had just two seniors graduate in the spring, leaving a loaded roster this season to make some moves in the Independence division. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='871379' first='Cara' last='Fitzpatrick'] is a player we'll be keeping tabs on, one of the better shooters in the conference, pound-for-pound, and a great defensive player on top of that perimeter success. Curious to see how much she develops her three-point shooting in this all-important junior season.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='879802' first='Amanda' last='Dean'] - Parsippany (2025)</h2>   <p>There were a few players that we could have picked for Parsippany going into this season, but of the bunch, senior [player_tooltip player_id='879802' first='Amanda' last='Dean'] really stood out as a game-changer, a player that's put in the work over the past three seasons to get to this point and someone that's steadily improved over that span. Well-rounded offensive game with an ability to shoot, she's only going to improve that much more as a senior.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gianna Caruso - Kittatinny (2025)</h2>   <p>The tandem of Gianna Caruso and [player_tooltip player_id='879788' first='Taylor' last='Hough'] will be one to watch in the NJAC this season, especially knowing that the two complement each other so well. Caruso is the frontcourt presence, the impact player down low destined for a larger role in the paint this season after both Olivia Lombardo and Hanna Olsen graduated in the spring. Expect much more production and more double-doubles from Caruso as a senior.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='671362' first='Monica' last='Curry'] - Vernon (2026)</h2>   <p>Vernon was a very top-heavy team last year when it came to production as three players really ran the show as scorers. Two remain coming into this season, the younger of the pair being junior [player_tooltip player_id='671362' first='Monica' last='Curry']. She showed as a sophomore that she's one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire conference, but where she should take some massive strides this season is in her passing game with Jonnah Castillo gone.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='879590' first='Katie' last='O'Keefe'] - Pope John (2025)</h2>   <p>There's a lot of balance on this Pope John team, though we'll be curious to see what depth the Lions have this season. [player_tooltip player_id='879590' first='Katie' last='O'Keefe'] won't be part of this current core once the spring comes around as she's reached her senior send-off, but she's been an integral part of this program's success, both in perimeter shooting and passing. Underrated defensive player as well.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='870863' first='Arden' last='Alvarez'] - Chatham (2025)</h2>   <p>Talk about a senior-heavy group of players, this is going to be a big year for Chatham as its top three returning players are all in their senior seasons. [player_tooltip player_id='870863' first='Arden' last='Alvarez'] is one of the better shooters in this group, making a splash in her first year with the team. Will help to clog up the lane on the defensive side of the ball, get turnovers, deflected passes and put her body on the line to help her team win.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601266' first='Kennedy' last='Brown'] - Morris Catholic (2026)</h2>   <p>Morris Catholic, on paper, is tabbed as the best team in the state for a reason and outside of the obvious, depth is a big contributing factor to that success. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='601266' first='Kennedy' last='Brown'] came into the program as a sophomore and made her presence felt beyond the arc on both sides of the ball, both an effective shooter and a stingy defender. She's going to have a bigger role for this program as a junior coming off last year.</p>

Where to start, where to start in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. That's the question as we are mere days from the beginning of the high school girls basketball season in New Jersey. One thing is for sure: the NJAC blessed with a plethora of talent, up-and-down the conference. We'll be taking a look below at some more underrated names to watch out for this winter.