United NJ 17U Power 24 Preview

<p>This team may be a little short on height in the AAU world, but they are certainly not short on talent. They compete in the top independent circuit in the country and they always show up.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601332' first='Annie' last='Conover'] - New Providence</h2>   <p>In her 1st season as the lead dog for New Providence, Annie led the team to a 30-2 record, the Union County Championship and the Group 1 State Championship. She led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals and she is already over 1,100 career points. Annie is a tremendous downhill finisher. Only 5'7" she has a quick change of direction, an excellent crossover and uses her body well going to the basket. She can shoot the 3 as well and hit 46 in her junior season. She is at her best playing the #2 offensively, but defensively she seamlessly guards 1-3 and has excellent feet and quick hands to get steals and deflections. Annie is also not afraid to go in the paint and rebound with the bigs and she comes out with the ball a lot.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='644270' first='Gabby' last='D'Agostino'] - The Hun School</h2>   <p>Gabby is a bucket. Undersized at 5'4", she creatively finds her way to get shots off whenever she needs to. She has great lower body strength and uses that to create space. When she gets in the lane she can score with a variety of spins, pull-ups and floaters. Gabby played up on the United NJ 17U team last season and joins her 2026 teammates to run it back this year. Teaming with [player_tooltip player_id='600897' first='Gabriella' last='Mittelman'], United NJ 17U has two strong PGs to play in the Power 24 circuit. Gabby can shoot it too which allows her to spot up in corners off the ball. She pushes tempo in transition and going from The Hun School where she scores in bunches Gabby can utilize this opportunity and the talented cast to be a distributor as well. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601341' first='Sophia' last='Georgiades'] - Rutgers Prep</h2>   <p>Sophia jumped from Ridge HS to Rutgers Prep this past season and finished 2nd on the team in points, 3-pointers, steals and assists. In her 3rd season with United NJ, the BU commit plays at lightning speed and when she's under control she's tough to stop. She has put up some big games on the AAU circuit over the years. Sophia is at her best getting to the rim with a variety of moves and finishes both in the half court and in transition. This lefty can step out and shoot it as well. She hit 37 3-pointers in her junior year at Rutgers Prep. A bit undersized as a #2, Sophia can use her AAU season to continue trying to develop PG skills for the next level at BU. Defensively, she uses her speed and instincts to get steals and layups.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559819' first='Whitney' last='Hobson'] - Trinity Hall</h2>   <p>Whitney easily moves between guard spots in the United NJ offense. After being the PG for Trinity Hall in her junior season and leading the team in assists, she is clearly comfortable running the show and as Trinity Hall's 2nd leading scorer she is just as comfortable playing off the ball. Whitney plays at her tempo and plays in control which is a virtue on the AAU circuit. She can get in the lane and finish, but I feel she is at her best in the mid-range game pulling up off the bounce. Defensively she is an excellent communicator and guards 1-4. She anticipates switches well and is always looking to help the helpers which is a forgotten art.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='871374' first='Sophie' last='Lane'] - Westfield</h2>   <p>A newcomer to United, Sophie brings length and scoring. She has a nice stroke from 3-point range and is not afraid to let it fly when she has space. She led her Westfield team with 47 3-pointers in her junior year on their way to the North 2 Group 4 Sectional Championship. She also led the team in scoring and rebounding and United can use her length on the glass. Her length allows her to score inside over taller players and defensively those long arms can cause problems for opposing shooters. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='600897' first='Gabriella' last='Mittelman'] - Demarest</h2>   <p>A United NJ 16U team that played without a PG last year now has a true PG. Gabriella has run the show at Demarest since her freshman season and will look to do the same in her 1st season with United NJ. She plays an uptempo style at Demarest and that will translate well to the AAU season. Gabriella led her Demarest team in scoring, assists and steals on their way to a berth in the Bergen County and North 1 Group 3 finals and has over 1,100 points in 3 seasons. She has a tight handle and is not easy to pressure. She can step out and shoot the 3, but is at her best breaking down defenders and getting in the lane and finishing with a variety of moves and excellent footwork. Defensively, she stays in front of the ball and has a knack for getting in passing lanes and getting steals. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='564268' first='Toni' last='Pernetti'] - Ramapo</h2>   <p>Don't be fooled by her stoicism. Very few people play the game as hard at both ends as Toni. Offensively, she does whatever is needed. She led Ramapo in assists, steals and offensive rebounds in each of the last two seasons. She was 2nd in scoring in her junior year and hit a career high 36 3-pointers. She moves very well off the ball and takes great angles on downhill drives. She is also very comfortable scoring with both hands with her back to the basket in the post. Toni relentlessly attacks offensive boards and either grabs it or keeps it alive for her team. Defensively, she guards with a plan which explains how she marks 1-5 seamlessly and with a physical presence inside and out. She's very effective blitzing ball screens and willingly guards the top player on every team.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='559133' first='Erin' last='Reid'] - Rumson-Fair Haven</h2>   <p>Erin plays the game fast. She gets up and down the court. She has great anticipation as a defender and uses that to get in passing lanes earning herself steals and layups. She will bring that tempo with her as she enters her first season with United NJ. She plays with a physical presence at both ends and attacks the basket with the ball off the bounce or in the post where she uses her strength and footwork to score over taller defenders. She led her team with 80 steals in 29 games and also led the team in scoring and rebounding on their way to a spot in the Central Group 2 finals. She creates contact and went to the charity stripe 5 times per game. She is not afraid to muscle opponents around on D and that is something her United NJ 17U team will utilize.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='601339' first='Natalie' last='Sroka'] - Belvidere</h2>   <p>Back for another year with United NJ, Natalie brings some offensive firepower. She scored over 500 points in her junior season, is over 1,400 points for her career and hit 46 3-pointers. She is at her best driving to the basket and, though a righty, she likes to go left and finish with a scoop finish. Natalie is a developing on the ball defender but off the ball she gets lots of steals and finishes with good anticipation. She has long arms which she uses to get deflections and be disruptive. If she can score at the same level in Power 24 that she does at Belvidere, she will add a nice scoring punch to this roster. </p>

This team may be a little short on height in the AAU world, but they are certainly not short on talent. They compete in the top independent circuit in the country and they always show up.