Girls basketball rankings: Greater Middlesex Conference preseason Top 10
The 2023-24 varsity basketball season tips off Thursday. Here is our GMC preseason Home News Tribune girls basketball top 10
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (22-7) — The Trojans were hit extremely hard by graduation and transfers but should have enough back and incoming to remain the favorite in the GMCT and Red Division, as Tim Corrigan takes over as head coach.
2. South Brunswick (19-8) — The Vikings finished second in the GMC Red Division, reaching the 19-win mark for the second straight season, and though Katie Rausch graduated, Meher Vig and Alexis Lease are back after leading South Brunswick to the GMCT and sectional semifinals last season.
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3. Colonia (16-12) — The Patriots proved they can roll in whatever division they land in, as they followed up a 28-win White Division season with 16 victories in the Red last year. They lose Mattison Chiera to graduation but return reigning HNT Player of the Year Taylor Derkack as they seek to improve on last year’s trip to the county final and sectional semifinals.
4. Monroe (17-10) — The Falcons notched their fifth straight winning season, going to the GMC Tournament semifinals, before running into St. Thomas, and went to the Central Group 4 final. Monroe got hit with some key graduation losses but should be in the mix again.
5. Old Bridge (16-10) — The Knights reached the 16-win mark for the third consecutive full season last year, and though they lost some key players to graduation, they get Abigail Jazmin back to lead a club looking to maintain its winning ways.
6. Edison (21-7) — The Eagles won just five games two years ago and responded with a White Division title last season. Senior Ghelsey Go, who was named first-team All-Area last season, returns to lead a group that will look to make another run, albeit without last year’s super freshman, Trista Whitney, who transferred.
7. Woodbridge (14-11) — The Barrons lost Izzy Reyes to graduation and Aviva Palms to transfer, but not only return some key players, including Angel Smith, but bring in a top-level transfer in Jennah Johnson from Gill St. Bernard’s.
8. East Brunswick (16-12) — The Bears were slammed by graduation, including that of Tamea El, and will rely on Caitlin Gay and a host of first-time starters and newcomers to try and maintain a level of success that saw EB go to quarterfinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference and Central 4 tournaments last year.
9. Middlesex (20-9) — The Blue Jays hardly skipped a beat, despite moving up from the Blue to the White Division last year. And though coach Kevin Harper has moved on and Nyesia Aguilar graduated, Middlesex should remain a chief contender in the division and in Central Group 1, where it went to the final last year. Junior Jessica Devine leads the way for new head coach Stewart Lester.
10. North Plainfield (17-9) — The Canucks’ first season in the Greater Middlesex Conference was a rousing success, as the Somerset County school left the Skyland Conference for the GMC this year and notched its first winning season since 2008. Nyla Felton decided not to play hoops, and Yazmen Zafar graduated, but North Plainfield has plenty of talent, including Layla Guiterrez and Kaelyn Hester, and transfer Jayla Worthy, to keep their charge going.
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.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball rankings: Greater Middlesex Conf. preseason Top 10
