Ace Bailey introduced during his first Rutgers basketball game
Ace Bailey is introduced during his first Rutgers basketball game
The 2024-25 varsity basketball season is underway. Here is our Skyland and UCC preseason Courier News girls basketball top 10
(last year’s record in parenthesis)
1. Rutgers Prep (24-5) – The Argonauts won their ninth straight conference title and fourth straight Somerset County Tournament championship last year, en route to their third consecutive state Non-Public B final. And while Rutgers Prep got hammered by graduation and transfer, returning just one starter in Ava LaMonica, this program has proven time and time again it’s the team to beat, having won 68 straight games against Skyland Conference opponents. The Argonauts opened their season Saturday with a 66-29 topping of Ewing.
2. Gill St. Bernard’s (24-5) – Three-year starting senior Gandy Malou Mamel leads a stacked club that will have to overcome the graduation loss of longtime star Brooke Baisley. Three of the Knights’ five losses last season were to Rutgers Prep, including by just three points in the Somerset County Tournament final, and GSB hopes to snap a 23-game losing streak to the Argos when they meet Tuesday. The Knights won their opener, 58-31 Saturday over Albert Magnus (NY).
3. Hillsborough (21-6) –The defending North 2 Group 4 champs are loaded again, bringing everyone back from last year’s club, including four-year starting senior Cesci Schiro, who broke the program’s all-time scoring record Saturday in an opening-day win over Linden. Fellow All-Area pick Mya Loniewski is also back, as are three sophomores who started last year. Senior Reghan Bice, who missed her junior season with an injury after a standout sophomore campaign, makes her return, giving Boro yet another weapon.
4. Franklin (15-14) –The Warriors surged down the stretch last year, winning 11-of-16, and through second-team All-Area pick Iyanna Cotton graduated, Franklin features a host of high-ceiling players ready to face one of the area’s most challenging schedules. That includes Rutgers commit Precious Wheeler, who returns for her senior season after missing last year with an injury. Sophomore Iyanna Cotton, who is one of the top recruits in her class in the state and already getting D1 offers, will also have a big hand in the Warriors’ fortunes after a big freshman campaign.
5. Voorhees (20-6) – The Vikings are coming off their winningest campaign since winning a sectional title in 2016, and bring back most of last year’s squad, including third-team All-Area pick Madie Petak and senior Christina Sullivan. Voorhees alum Caitlin Reilly, who played on that championship team eight years ago, takes over as head coach. The Vikes move up to the Raritan Division.
6. New Providence (25-5) — The Pioneers endured some huge graduation losses, including that of four-year starter Grace Kinum, but brings back a couple of frontline players in Brenna Slattery and Annie Conover as they look to remain among the class of Union County and challenge for a Group 1 state title.
7. Plainfield (20-7) –The Cardinals are coming off their finest season in more than two decades, and through senior Maziyah Richardson’s graduation leaves big shoes to fill, there’s a lot of talent back, including junior Imani Mullings.
8. Westfield (10-16) –The Blue Devils went through a rebuilding campaign a year ago, but with nearly everyone back, and the return of senior Catie Carayannopoulos who missed last year with an injury, Westfield is in excellent shape to move back toward the top of the UCC and make a run in North 2 Group 4.
9. Mount St. Mary (15-13) –The Raritan Division co-champs put up its seventh consecutive winning season and won its fourth straight divisional crown. The Mount Lions lost Rachel Castela to graduation and another key player to injury, but senior Mia Gestosani leads a solid group of talented players ready to step up and help MSM remain a top contender in a beefed-up Raritan Division.
10. Pingry (19-7) –The reigning Valley Division champs move up to the Raritan where the schedule will get tougher and will have to do so without star Debra Hill, who transferred out of state. Four-year starter Taylor Francis gives the Big Blue a top-level returner as they seek to make noise against a more challenging schedule.
Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997. He can be reached at CNGirlsHoops@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter/X @SimeonPincus.
