Preseason Favorites: Olympic Conference
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Basketball season is quickly approaching after a delayed start, and teams across the state of New Jersey are ready to get back on the court. Each and every conference is sure to be competitive but there are always a handful…
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Continue ReadingBasketball season is quickly approaching after a delayed start, and teams across the state of New Jersey are ready to get back on the court. Each and every conference is sure to be competitive but there are always a handful of teams that stand out above the rest. This series will give you a look at what to expect from some of these preseason favorites starting with the stacked Olympic Conference.
Cherokee
Before the 2019-20 season was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic Cherokee had the looks of a team that could go deep into the state tournament. Having already won the NJSIAA Sectional Tournament the Chiefs finished the year with a 30-1 record and this year return much of the impressive nucleus that they had last year. Cherokee graduated four seniors but only one (Kennedy Wilburn) was a starter, so really this group moving on mostly impacts the depth. Even with losing some of that depth the Chiefs can rely on some of the younger players who have impressed including rising sophomore Gabby Recinto Gabby Recinto 5'10" | SF Cherokee | 2023 State NJ (6.4 points per game as a freshman off of the bench).
The star of this team is Alexa Therien Alexa Therien 6'1" | SF Cherokee | 2021 State NJ , a senior center who is a force down low and committed to play basketball at Boston University next year. Much of the offense will revolve around Therien but secondary players such as junior Katie Fricker and sophomore Avery Kessler will get their chances to shine as well. The reason Cherokee is so good year in and year out is because they get production from every member of the team, they are one of the deepest teams in New Jersey and the reason why I expect another outstanding season.
Paul VI
While the end of last season was disappointing there is no doubt that the future of Paul VI’s program is bright. A 24-3 season ended with a loss to St. Rose in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Sectional Tournament but that says a lot more about how good St. Rose is rather than Paul VI having a bad game. The Eagles only graduated two players so most of the team is returning, and while the loss of Abaigeal Barbore (14.2 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game) hurts the team has enough talent to overcome it. All eyes are going to be on star sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo Hannah Hidalgo 5'7" | PG Paul VI | 2023 State NJ this year, as a freshman she lit the Olympic Conference on fire to the tune of 17.2 points per game and 3.1 assists per game. Hidalgo’s game is smooth on every part of the court, she has a tight handle that allows her to get past defenders with quick hands, a great jump shot and incredible vision to get the ball to open teammates.
Playing next to Hidalgo is senior guard Eleanor Robinson who I believe is one of the best kept secrets in the conference. Robinson doesn’t get talked about as much as her teammate but she is as steady as they come, scoring double digits in 17 of her 27 games and helping out on the glass as well. The Eagles have a great mixture of youth and veteran leadership as they also have two valuable weapons with youth in sophomores Nile Miller and Sara McShea who help out in the paint and at the three point line. This Paul VI team is deep and have a fire in their collective belly after a rough end of the year, this is a team that can make a deep run this season.
Lenape
Lenape is coming off of another steady season, something they have gotten used to over the year. A 22-7 record saw them finish second in the American Division of the Olympic Conference, only behind powerhouse Cherokee. A tough loss to Shawnee in the semifinal of the NJSIAA Sectional Tournament wasn’t how the team wanted the season to end, but they did gain valuable experience for their younger players who will have to step up this year. Lenape graduated six players this year, two of them (Regan King and Claire Zhang) being the #1 and #4 leading scorers on the team. That is a big hole to fill but senior guard Olivia Johnstone and sophomore Kaitlyn King seem up to the task.
Johnstone broke out this past year, her scoring average jumped from 5.1 points per game as a sophomore to 8.4 as a junior playing behind the star power of Reagan King. It looks like this is going to be Johnstone’s team to lead but she doesn’t have to do it alone, as she can fall back on the abilities of Kaitlyn King, senior Dyonna Wess and sophomore Kristen Cortese, who each scored at least 100 points last season. With most of the other teams in the conference losing most of their depth or top players Lenape finds themselves in a position in which they have most of their production returning, something not many teams can say. It will be hard to unseat Cherokee at the top of the conference, but Lenape has a shot.