Five Colonial Conference Juniors to Watch: Patriot Division
Excitement is brewing in South Jersey as the countdown to the beginning of the 2020-21 Colonial Conference girls basketball season is well underway. Woodbury ran away with the Patriot Division last season, going a perfect 10-0 in conference play, but…
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Continue ReadingExcitement is brewing in South Jersey as the countdown to the beginning of the 2020-21 Colonial Conference girls basketball season is well underway.
Woodbury ran away with the Patriot Division last season, going a perfect 10-0 in conference play, but despite some separation in the conference last year, there is talent up and down this group of schools.
As anticipation builds, here is a list of five rising juniors in the Patriot Division to look out for.
Kayleigh Armstrong, G Haddon Township: Armstrong is a dual threat as a combo guard. She has the court vision to pick out teammates for passes, can drive into the lane to create contact and get shots off and can light it up from beyond the arc. She has a quick release from three and her off-ball movement allows for many opportunities to shoot. A tall and lanky guard, that works to her advantage, especially in the paint.
Imani Gillette, F/C Overbrook: Gillette was Overbrook’s best player last year thanks to a combination of shot blocking prowess and overpowering size and strength. While not being the fastest on the court, she is able to get up and down quickly due to her height, which allows her to get open on the break. Her bread and butter is getting open at the top of the paint and driving down low for the easy layup, and no one can stop her. On defense, her long arms spell disaster for anyone shooting as it usually results in the ball getting swatted away. Her ceiling is only going to continue to rise.
Destiny Nunelly-Knight, G/F Lindenwold: Nunelly-Knight played a limited role last year on a Lindenwold team that struggled in conference play, going 1-11 and 1-9 in division play. However, with the loss of several key seniors, she will be relied on much more this season. Her game is played inside the three-point line, but Nunelly-Knight was one of the top-5 scorers on the team, and will be a top-2 returning scorer, so expect her to continue to crash the paint and connect on her mid-range shots this season.
Rachel McKnight, F Gateway: McKnight will be one of Gateway’s go-to scorers this season, a force down low and a reliable shooter at the foul line if she gets there. McKnight is not an outside shooter, but she doesn’t need to rely on the three ball to get her points. She’s making moves in the paint on both sides of the court, so that means expect her to be aggressive for rebounds to start a break, or if she’s on the offensive end, put it back up or draw contact. Gateway struggled, and they need players like McKnight to turn the tides.
Aaliyyah Bateman, G Paulsboro: Paulsboro is stocked with young talent, Bateman being one of the shining stars of the crop. Bateman picked up the slack last season from teammate and fellow rising senior Zoey Cooper, who didn’t play the last five games of their season. However, Bateman shined, nearly averaging 10 points a game in those last five games, and was active on the assisting and rebounding end. She’s only going to build off that late season success this season.
Stay tuned for more coverage as the season creeps closer.