City Rankings: Top Asbury Park-Area Posts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We would be remissed if we didn't talk about the Jersey Shore basketball scene and Asbury Park is the city right in the middle of the action. Arguably the best basketball in the state is concentrated right in that Central Jersey Shore region. That means we at Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey need to talk about it. Our Asbury Park-area City Rankings begin below with the top posts in the region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='333332' first='Caroline' last='Polloway'] - 6-2 PF, Red Bank Regional (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Very much an underrated forward in New Jersey overall, Polloway made quite the statement in her freshman season with RBR, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Averaging nearly nine rebounds a game and exactly two blocks a game, talk about a great jumping off point after your first season. With NJ Rise in the summer, Polloway has developed her offensive game more to become more than just a defensive-minded forward. That will help immensely come the high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='431238' first='Katie' last='Collins'] - 6-1 SF/PF, Manasquan (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another taller forward, Collins has begun expanding her offensive game more and her shot selection more. That doesn't change her dominance down low as one would expect of someone with a 6-1 frame. She's nimble and agile on the post and that added mobility helps when going for a block attempt or trying to get a hand in the face of the opponent to force up a bad shot. Collins really found her footing as a sophomore and is now starting to build off that newfound confidence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='482271' first='Ashley' last='Sofilkanich'] - 6-3 PF/C, St. John Vianney (2023)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The departure of graduating senior Megan Calahan in the spring leaves a major spot open in the front court for SJV, one that Sofilkanich will undoubtedly fill. She returns as the major impact forward for the reigning and still best team in the state and if last season was any indication for what she has the potential to be, the Lady Lancers are in for a treat. Sofilkanich is a mobile forward, lanky but strong, with great vision down low. Shot-blocking comes naturally to her and she's not one to back down from a defensive assignment, spelling nightmares for opponents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='488725' first='Skylar' last='Soltis'] - 6-3 C, Southern Regional (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Soltis undoubtedly held down the fort for Southern last season, nearly averaging a double-double and impressing as a post player. This progression was expected and exceeded expectations at that. Her shot-blocking ability has tremendously improved as has her overall confidence on the floor. She's stepping into better positions for rebounds and working the defense more for scoring chances. The offense will balance itself out with the defense in time and definitely got noticeably closer in her sophomore season. She needs to keep at it, keep taking shots and taking chances to score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='488729' first='Savannah' last='Butz'] - 6-0 SF/PF, Colts Neck (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Butz presents another interesting case of a player who on paper, might not stand out, but has performed well thus far and has a fantastic opportunity in front of her in the near future. Julianna Gibson was the main post player for the Cougars last season, but she has since graduated. Butz, who got playing time and excelled greatly as a result of being out on the floor, is now the main front court piece for Colts Neck this season. We saw her branch out as a shooter, but now, she'll be relied upon more heavily as that double-double prototype player, one she's already shown she can be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->