Ready or not, the girls basketball season will officially tip off in less than a week.
This season, of course, won’t look anything like seasons of the past thanks to COVID-19 restrictions implemented throughout the state.
But there will still be plenty of intriguing storylines happening within each county and conference.
Here are 15 storylines to keep an eye on in 2021:
How will teams defend Trenton Catholic’s backcourt?
Trenton Catholic, one of the best teams in New Jersey last season and expected to be again this season, will have one of the state’s best backcourts in 2021. Zoe Brooks, a Third Team All-State selection last year off the bench, will draw into the starting five and will be joined by Angelica Velez, a fiery, dangerous shooter that excelled as a freshman at Manchester Township last season. A memo to opponents this season: good luck defending that pair.
How will Montclair Immaculate handle a challenging schedule?
Montclair Immaculate is one of the few teams that is challenging itself across the state in this pandemic-shortened season. Non-conference games against Saddle River Day, Cherokee, Paul VI, St. Rose and Manasquan, along with two games with University, will give Montclair Immaculate a chance to prove that it stands among the state’s elite teams.
St. John Vianney's Emma Bruen (3) is all smiles as she exits the game with a commanding lead over St. Rose in the NJSIAA Non-Public A Final at Long Branch High School on 3/11/20.Tom Horak | For NJ Advance Media
No. 1 again? St. John Vianney will be the team to beat this season
Perhaps no team has lost as much from the coronavirus as St. John Vianney. The Lancers were fast tracked to play for a Tournament of Champions title last season, and with every player back this year, would have carried those expectations again in 2021. St. John Vianney did finish as N.J.’s No. 1 team last year and will be the team to beat this season with an eye on a second straight No. 1 ranking.
No longer inexperienced, is Manasquan ready to take the next step?
Manasquan started four sophomores last season and still proved to be among the top teams in the Shore Conference, winning a seventh straight Central Jersey, Group 2. Now a year older — and with some strong reinforcements by way of a strong freshman class — the Warriors should be ready to take the next step forward. There is no state tournament this year, but if there was, Brooke Hollawell, George Heine, Mary Donnelly and Dorothy Loffredo would be poised to lead Manasquan into a Tournament of Champions.
Is balance the answer for a lineup stacked with D-1 talent like RBC?
There will be no lack of talent on the floor for Red Bank Catholic this season. A lineup that features three high-powered Division-1 commits in Sophia Sabino (Fordham), Justine Pissott (Tennessee) and Ally Carman (Boston College) will have plenty of options to provide offense. Red Bank Catholic struggled down the stretch last season and will have plenty of motivation to prove itself as one of N.J.’s top teams this winter.
Can Alexis Davis lead Glassboro to stardom in the Tri-County Conference?
Alexis Davis was sensational as a freshman last winter, averaging 21.2 points per game for a 25-win team. Glassboro could be the team to beat in the TCC this year and Davis is a big reason why. Clearview lost some key pieces to graduation and transfer but should be on Glassboro’s heels, as will Kingsway, Wildwood and Williamstown.
Which team will lead the way in the Cape-Atlantic League?
The Cape-Atlantic could quietly be one of the most competitive leagues in New Jersey this season, thanks to the quality of teams at the top. Ocean City was the last CAL team still alive when the state tournament shut down last year and will be solid again this year, Marianna Papazoglou and Wildwood Catholic will be a tough team to beat and Atlantic City returns a strong nucleus from last year’s Cape-Atlantic League Tournament title winning team.
Cherokee's Alexa Therien shoots from the line during a SJIBT Showcase basketball game between Wildwood Catholic and Cherokee. Voorhees, NJ. Saturday, February 15, 2020.David Gard | For NJ Advance Media
All eyes on Cherokee and Paul VI in the Olympic Conference
Cherokee and Paul VI are expected to be the two best teams in South Jersey this season, so attention will turn their way in Olympic Conference play. Both teams made deep runs in the state tournament last year and will match up in Haddonfield on Feb. 4 — a must-see game in South Jersey. Alexa Therien will be one of the best bigs in New Jersey this year, while Paul VI will have a dangerous lineup, top to bottom, with Hannah Hidalgo, Veyoni Davis and Nile Miller leading the way.
Eniya Scott vs. Zanai Jones: Battle for stardom in Hudson County
Hudson Catholic and Bayonne will be the two best teams in Hudson County — and they will have, arguably, the two best players in the HCIAL, too. Zanai Jones, a Villanova commit, and Eniya Scott have proven to be elite scorers in Hudson County over the past few seasons and should put on a show when these teams meet in Bayonne on Feb. 6.
Can Joe Whalen keep St. Thomas Aquinas’ dominance alive in the GMC?
St. Thomas Aquinas has been, far and away, the best team in the Greater Middlesex Conference over the past two seasons. Now headed by veteran coach Joe Whalen, those expectations won’t waver. Akyia Baker will be the go-to scorer for a relatively inexperienced Trojans team now with severe graduation losses in Kelsey Ransom and Emma Boslet. Monroe, Piscataway, South River and East Brunswick figure to be St. Thomas Aquinas’ biggest challengers in Middlesex County this year.
Loaded with talent again, can Saddle River Day emerge as the No. 1 team in N.J.?
Danny Brown has planted Saddle River Day in the conversation as one of the best programs in New Jersey over the past five seasons — and that certainly won’t change this year. The Rebels had played their way into the Non-Public B title game before the state tournament was canceled last March and will bring that entire team back. Add in Paulina Paris, a game-changing transfer from New York, and Saddle River Day has a legitimate chance to finish as the top-ranked team in New Jersey this year.
Rutgers Prep pose for a photo with the trophy after defeating Watchung Hills in the Somerset County tournament final, held at Montgomery High School, February 29, 2020.Mary Iuvone | For NJ Advance Media
Will any team in the Skyland Conference contend with Rutgers Prep?
On paper, Rutgers Prep figures to be the runaway favorite in the Skyland Conference. Villanova commit Christina Dalce, Mia Yanogacio, Isabella Pellecchia, Kylie Favours and Katherine Donahue all return for a team that won a Somerset County Tournament title. Johnson transfer Katie Ledden should log big minutes for an Argonauts team that, in a normal year, would have had a Tournament of Champions title underscored on its list of goals.
Gill St. Bernard’s, Franklin, Mount St. Mary and Bound Brook are all in that conversation, but Rutgers Prep will be a tough team to beat in Skyland Conference play.
Experience could pave the way to an iconic season for Sparta
A Sparta lineup that was littered with freshmen last season won 24 games and reached the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 title game. A year older and with that experience expertly packed away, Sparta should be the team to beat in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference this winter. In a normal year, winning a Group 3 title would have been a realistic goal for this Sparta team. Now? A perfect season in league play is certainly within reach.
Can Destiny Adams’ final season end with a championship?
Destiny Adams will go down as one of the most complete players to ever come out of the Shore Conference — though some will debate it — regardless of what happens this year. Adams will never get a chance to win a Tournament of Champions title after reaching the semifinals in her sophomore year, but she can still end her high school career on top. The Shore Conference will host postseason pods in the final week of the season and a championship pod in the Shore could include teams like Manchester Township, St. John Vianney, Red Bank Catholic, Manasquan and St. Rose.
Sure, it’s not a Tournament of Champions title, but winning a bracket like that would be an exclamation point on an iconic career.
Will Ramapo take the reins from Immaculate Heart as the top team in the Big North?
Immaculate Heart has been the gold standard for girls basketball in the Big North Conference for a decade, highlighted by nine straight North Jersey, Non-Public A sectional titles. But with the loss of All-State center Anna Morris, Ramapo could be poised to finish atop the rankings in the Big North this year.
Ramapo will return its entire team from last year’s 28-3 group that reached the Group 3 title game and is widely regarded as one of the best teams in New Jersey this year.
Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne.
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