10-17: NJ Commitments & National Rankings Update
Things are moving and shaking when looking at the recruiting scene in New Jersey, not just with commitments, but how players are shaping up in the national rankings. We’re going to discuss not just the recent commitments from players in…
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Continue ReadingThings are moving and shaking when looking at the recruiting scene in New Jersey, not just with commitments, but how players are shaping up in the national rankings. We’re going to discuss not just the recent commitments from players in New Jersey, but where some of the best players in the state are ranked on a national scale.
Looking at espnW’s 2023 national rankings, we see two New Jersey players ranked inside the top 10, Paul VI’s Hannah Hidalgo Hannah Hidalgo 5'7" | PG Paul VI | 2023 State NJ and St. John Vianney’s Zoe Brooks Zoe Brooks 5'8" | CG St. John Vianney | 2023 State NJ .
Hidalgo, currently uncommitted, is ranked fifth nationally in the 2023 class and Brooks, the NC State commit, is ninth. Both are five-star recruits according to ESPN.
Among their 2024 national rankings, Rutgers Prep standout Mikayla Blakes Mikayla Blakes 5'8" | SG Rutgers Prep | 2024 State NJ is ranked 21st overall and is a 95 rated four-star recruit. Blakes is one of a few exciting prospects to watch on the Argonauts this season.
And in the 2025 national rankings, Morris Catholic guard Mia Pauldo Mia Pauldo 5'7" | CG Morris Catholic | 2025 State NJ has found herself inside the top 10, ranked 8th nationally after an incredible freshman season with the Crusaders. Morris Catholic has one of the most stacked rosters in New Jersey and is an early contender for the top program in the state during the 2022-23 high school season.
Now looking at commitments in New Jersey, we start with 2023 Jackson Memorial standout Zoie Maffei Zoie Maffei 5'11" | SF Jackson Memorial | 2023 State NJ , who announced her commitment to play for St. Francis Brooklyn on Sunday.
Maffei was one of the best players in the state last season, scoring 16.5 points per game while hauling in nearly eight rebounds a game. She’s re-invented her game and has become a fantastic piece for the Jaguars to build around. Maffei’s breakout season came as a junior, where she set records in basically every statistical category, including becoming a spectacular three-point shooter, knocking down 54 threes last season.
The next player commitment we’ll be highlighting is Camden Catholic 2023 guard Aaryn Battle Aaryn Battle 5'8" | SF Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ , who announced on Saturday that she’ll be continuing her college career at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.
The guard duo of Battle and Kassidy Thompson Kassidy Thompson 5'9" | SG Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ has thrusted Camden Catholic into the conversation as one of the best teams in the Olympic Conference and in South Jersey. Those two are very much up there as a dynamic duo in the Garden State. Battle averaged 14 points a game as a junior and nearly five assists a game as well as nearly three steals a game for the Irish.
Our last player commitment to focus on is Hunterdon Central forward Tabitha DeVries Tabitha DeVries C Hunterdon Central | 2023 NJ , who announced that she’ll be continuing her basketball career to play for Houghton.
While DeVries showed great improvement last season, averaging 5.7 points a game for HC, she got plenty of looks after her performances with United NJ during the AAU season this summer. That’s what has really separated her as a college talent and a great player in the paint. That growth during the summer has shown just what she can become this high school season and beyond.