Preseason Top Ten Teams

The anticipation for the 2025-2026 high school season is building as we are just a few months removed from opening day! It's never too soon to look at the ten teams I'm predicting will be the cream of the crop to start the season. We'll also dive in and look at three players from each team that will turn heads for different reasons, some not even the expected star players!   *in no particular order   Red Bank Catholic   [player_tooltip player_id='719416' first='Scarlet' last='LeVake']- Low, mid & high post efficiency. Very agile; gets up and down the floor smoothly. RBC's primary paint protector.   [player_tooltip player_id='559031' first='Daniela' last='Maletsky']- Strong drive & kick game; skilled in transition and excellent decision-making on the fly. Skilled spot-up shooter (15-18 feet).   [player_tooltip player_id='559085' first='Addison' last='Nyemchek']- Versatile do-it-all guard/wing. Exceptional inside-out offense. Problematic length. Elite two-way game.   DePaul Catholic   [player_tooltip player_id='1198649' first='Maya' last='Morrison']- Tricky southpaw. Confident and crafty on the drive. 6'0" size allows her to score & defend multiple levels.   [player_tooltip player_id='972291' first='Angelyn' last='Almonte']- Explosive off the dribble. Athleticism and bounce to pull down rebounds and rise up for blocks. JuJu-like smoothness to her game; not easily fazed by much.   [player_tooltip player_id='995787' first='Breya' last='LeTennier']- Strong combo guard tendencies. Ultra-reliable 3-point shooter. Sharp court vision and excellent placement on outlet passes.   Rutgers Prep   [player_tooltip player_id='981918' first='Hailey' last='Benbow']- One of the purest and most efficient mid-range jumpers in the state. Tough as nails on the drive; absorbs a lot of contact and powers through for the and-1.   [player_tooltip player_id='601401' first='Natalia' last='Valdez']- Undeniable hustle and effort on defense; quick lateral movement and sharp focus on the ball. Gets shots up over smaller guards; length is a difference-maker.   [player_tooltip player_id='651515' first='Hannah' last='Fraser']- Very long & mobile. Multi-level scoring threat. Does a great job clogging the lanes and deterring easy drives.   Gloucester Catholic   Monet High- Very effective running the point. She quickly reads the defense and gets the ball in the hands of the scorer. Small and scrappy on-ball defender.   [player_tooltip player_id='601413' first='Jahzara' last='Green']- One of the best in the state at playing around the rim. Relentless on the glass and menacing shot-blocker. Quick in transition.   [player_tooltip player_id='959812' first='Amanda' last='Eggers']- This team's go-to 3-point specialist. Very quick release on her shot.   St. John Vianney   [player_tooltip player_id='559039' first='Madison' last='Kocis']- One of the state's most dangerous sharpshooters; 3-point wizard. Very long, gets her shot up and over defenders quick-fast.   [player_tooltip player_id='559135' first='Stella' last='Lockhart']- Scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. One of the most physical, hard-nosed players anywhere in NJ.   [player_tooltip player_id='651478' first='Tatum' last='Sharpe']- Versatile offensive threat. Effective in the mid-post; really nice step-through move. Disruptive length on defense.   New Providence   [player_tooltip player_id='1263031' first='Megan' last='Henn']- Wickedly accurate 3-point specialist. Quick getting to her spot around the perimeter and even quicker release of the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='601332' first='Annie' last='Conover']- Dangerous all-court game. Impacts all areas on the floor and fills the stat sheet across the board. Tough to contain on single-coverage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1202424' first='Addy' last='Fitzgerald']- Reliable shooter from distance. Handles the ball confidently and darts off some really sweet dimes.   Morris Catholic   [player_tooltip player_id='667787' first='Jacqueline' last='Edelman']- Versatile offense and defense. Deep 3 balls at a high clip. She does a great job playing bigger than her 6'0" frame and swatting a lot of shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='789169' first='Morgan' last='Fulston']- Formidable rim protector. Difference-maker on the glass, especially o-boards. The beneficiary of lots of entry passes.   [player_tooltip player_id='601266' first='Kennedy' last='Brown']- Effective playing the guard/wing roles. Very strong, doesn't shy away from physicality. Impacts the game with [3-level] scoring, rebounding and defending.   Trinity Hall   [player_tooltip player_id='559073' first='Grace' last='Feeney']- Unlimited range on her shot. Great elevation & strong rebounding; o-board snatcher.   [player_tooltip player_id='559819' first='Whitney' last='Hobson']- Clutch delivery from 12-15 feet. Really strong rotations off the ball; crisp & quick. Hard-worker to make herself available for the shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='559086' first='Niamh' last='Stapleton']- Lots of defensive integrity. Very assertive in the paint to get a good shot off.   Ramapo   [player_tooltip player_id='559136' first='Camden' last='Epstein']- Do-it-all two-way talent. Very gritty game style. Can burn defenders inside and out with her versatile skillset.   [player_tooltip player_id='564268' first='Toni' last='Pernetti']- Lots of variety to her scoring; nice mix of paint & perimeter play. Strong ball movement and seamless reposition for the catch & shoot.   [player_tooltip player_id='600887' first='Grace' last='Saxton']- Undersized at the 5 but does a great job pulling down rebounds against much bigger players. Sets strong screens up top for guards to create.   Westfield   [player_tooltip player_id='871374' first='Sophie' last='Lane']- Nearly automatic 15-footer. Very disruptive defensively; long arms make a difference. She can light it up from 3; strong from the corners.   [player_tooltip player_id='739542' first='Mairin' last='Fowler']- Small, quick PG. She only knows one speed and it's FAST. Very reliable [and confident] 3-point shooter with excellent court vision; quickly racks up assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='601333' first='Megan' last='Logan']- Brings a good amount of size and versatility at the SF/wing. Efficient in the mid-range but can knock down the 3. Strong interior defender.

The anticipation for the 2025-2026 high school season is building as we are just a few months removed from opening day! It's never too soon to look at the ten teams I'm predicting will be the cream of the crop to start the season. We'll also dive in and look at three players from each team that will turn heads for different reasons, some not even the expected star players!