Prospect Spotlight: Paulina Paris – Saddle River Day ’22
New Jersey is a growing powerhouse in the US when it comes to high school girls basketball prospects. Housing some of the best collegiate programs anywhere, the Garden State also has its fair share of elite high school basketball programs.…
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Continue ReadingNew Jersey is a growing powerhouse in the US when it comes to high school girls basketball prospects.
Housing some of the best collegiate programs anywhere, the Garden State also has its fair share of elite high school basketball programs.
For both boys and girls basketball, many of the best schools reside in the suburbs of the Big Apple, New York City, but across the Hudson River into North Jersey.
The competition level in this region is among the highest in the country, no question about it, and the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference houses some of the best of the best in the state.
In the NJ girls basketball scene, Saddle River Day has been one of the cornerstones, and at the core of this program in recent years has been guard Paulina Paris.
Paris has made a name for herself, especially during the 2021 season, where she averaged nearly 25.0 PPG and knocked down nearly three three-pointers a game.
This was an utter season of dominance, so we’re going to the tape to see why the Penn State commit is on a level above just about anyone else.
The first thing that pops out is her handles and wow are they devastating for opponents. Good luck trying to stop her when she could easily hit a crossover dribble, catch someone’s ankles, and drive in for a layup or hit a step-back three.
Paris is not afraid to drive into the lane, and in one clip, she powered her way through several defenders on the way in for a tough two.
She plays both smart and aggressive, but when she’s aggressive, there really isn’t anything stopping her.
A good comp for Paris is current Ohio State guard Taylor Mikesell, one of the best three-point shooters in the country during her time at Maryland.
Why Mikesell is a great comparison is because they’re both sharp-shooters from beyond the arc, and they can just about shoot from anywhere.
They’re both great on the dribble and while they excel at shooting the three, they can just as easily maneuver their way into the lane for the bucket.
Paris is an exciting prospect to watch as she’s got the complete package that teams are looking for in a player. She has all the traits of a leader and a superstar, something she showed at Saddle River Day earlier this year.
While Nittany Lions fans will have to wait another year to see her play up in Happy Valley, we get one more season of her in New Jersey, so make sure you set your calendars. Paris is a must-watch whenever she’s on the floor.