PITMAN --- Rowan has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the NJAC women’s basketball title in 2021-22, based on a poll of the league’s head coaches.
The Profs, who won the 2019-20 conference title but did not compete in the COVID-shortened spring season, garnered six of the 10 possible first place votes. Defending conference champion NJCU, which won its first ever NJAC title in the spring, picked up three first-place votes and was predicted to finish second this season.
Montclair State, runner up in the spring, earned one first-place vote and was predicted to finish third this coming season.
TCNJ and Kean round out the top five predictions. William Paterson was predicted sixth and Stockton seventh; the Ospreys are also the dark horse pick among the coaches for this year. Rutgers-Newark (8), Ramapo (9), and Rutgers-Camden (10) round out the predictions.
The 2021-22 season opens on Saturday, Nov. 6, and the first conference games are slated for Tuesday, Nov. 23.
Despite not playing in the shortened 2020-21 season, Rowan returns a powerful group hungry for a strong season. The Profs return two all-conference players in junior guard Nicole Mallard and senior guard Grace Marshall. Mallard was an NJAC Second Team honoree in her rookie season and Marshall earned honorable mention honors two seasons ago. Head Coach Demetrius Poles sees a versatile skill set including good shooting, athleticism, and size as the strengths of his incoming 2021-22 squad. To be successful this season, the team will look to gel after not playing in 2020-21.
NJCU looks to capitalize on its first-ever conference title and continue the run of success that the Gothic Knights have enjoyed over the past few seasons. NJAC Rookie of the Year and Met Region Player of the Year Damaris Rodriguez will once again anchor the point after an outstanding rookie year last year. She averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.6 steals as a rookie while also not turning the ball over; she was second among all conference players with a nearly 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Jasmine Reese and Briana Davis also headline the group of returners. The Gothic Knights welcome 11 new players this season, including several college transfers who will add to Head Coach Pat Devaney’s skilled squad. The transfers include Jessica Woods (PF, St. Peter’s), Jada Camacho (SG, St. Katherine), Laney Fox (SG, Lenoir-Rhyne), Jimmirah Johnson (C, Post), and Tamecia Ransom (C, Bloomfield).
Montclair State went 8-2 last season including 6-0 in regular season conference play. The Red Hawks enter the season looking for their first conference title since 2017-18 when they capped off a six-year title run. Head Coach Karin Harvey is pleased with the experience that her squad returns led by a trio of guards. Junior guard Nickie Carter is back; she was the NJAC Rookie of the Year and a First Team honoree two seasons ago. Sophomore Kendall Hodges was a Second Team pick in the spring, and senior Julia Sutton is the leading returning scorer after averaging 11.0 points per game in the spring.
TCNJ went 9-1 overall in the spring and 8-0 in the conference regular season. The Lions have big shoes to fill, however, following the graduation of three-time NJAC First Team honoree and two-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Shannon Devitt along with All-Conference guard Elle Cimilluca. Junior guard Julia Setaro looks to lead the Lions’ squad this year. Setaro was an NJAC Second Team pick in the spring and is the leading returning scorer for the Lions after ranking third in the conference last season with 17.9 points per game. Junior guard Sydney Blum returns after averaging 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore. Junior forward Morgan Heller returns as well; Heller was third on the Lions squad in rebounding last season. Head Coach Chessie Jackson is placed with the quickness, athleticism, and defensive energy of her returning squad but will also look to develop her guard-heavy team’s rebounding.
Kean is picked fifth this season. The Cougars had a difficult spring season but return a number of players from the squad that went 17-9 overall and 13-5 in NJAC play in 2019-20. Among the returners is senior guard Shannon McCoy, a three-time NJAC First Team honoree who was fifth in the conference in scoring two seasons ago (16.5 points per game) and second in made-threes per game (2.3). Sarah Olivero, a senior guard, looks to step up into more playing time this season after averaging 18.4 minutes over the last three. For her career, she averages 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Senior forward Aniyah Moore returns after not playing in the spring, but brings valuable experience. Head Coach Mandy King is pleased with the culture, chemistry, and experience of her team this year as the Cougars look to make a successful run through the tough conference schedule this year.
William Paterson Head Coach Erin Monahan is excited for her group heading into the 2021-22 season. The Pioneers worked hard to develop in the shortened spring season that saw a few players step up leadership-wise. Senior guard/forward Brianna Brooks is back after earning NJAC Second Team honors in the spring as is junior guard/forward Justina Cabezas who picked up her first career all-conference honor. Brooks is the leading returning scorer, averaging 10.7 points last season along with 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Cabezas averaged nearly a double-double of 9.6 points and 10.3 rebounds, along with 2.1 assists. Rosa was also a double-digit scorer with 10.1 points per game and the guard added 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals. The Pioneers also welcome a handful of newcomers, including transfers, as they look to make an even bigger splash in the conference standings this year.
Stockton is another squad looking to improve in the standings, and the Ospreys have been noticed by the league’s head coaches as the dark horse team to watch this year. Head Coach Devin Jefferson is excited by the good energy and work ethic her squad is already displaying in the preseason as the team is hungry for a great season. Junior forward Ionyonia Alves looks to lead the group of returners. Alves earned her first all-conference nod in the spring and is the leading returning scorer. She averaged 8.0 points on a well-balanced scoring squad last year and was second on the team with 7.1 rebounds. Senior forward Nalya Hill is the leading returning rebounder after pulling down 7.2 rebounds per game last year while adding 7.4 points. Sophomore Jordyn Madigan will run the point; she averaged 6.5 points as a rookie last year and dished out 1.2 assists. The Ospreys will also welcome Division I transfer Grace Sacco, a point guard from UNC Wilmington who hails from nearby Ocean City High School.
Rutgers-Newark returns experienced players for this coming season as the entire core from the shortened spring season is back. Head Coach Ashley Cieplicki and her staff are excited for the returners as well as a handful of new additions who are eager to compete. The Scarlet Raiders return all three double-digit scorers from last year’s squad. Among the returners is Samiyah Horton, a junior guard who earned her first NJAC all-conference honor in the spring after leading the team with 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. Senior guard Syncere Lambert averaged 12.9 points along with 1.6 assists, and junior forward Ebony Odom Barnes returns after averaging nearly a double-double with 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. Cieplicki’s squad looks to grow on defense this coming season after the strong offensive work they did in the spring.
Ramapo looks to get back on to the court after not competing in the shortened spring season. Head Coach Mike Eineker’s squad will be a very young and inexperienced but talented group this season. Alie Wickersheim and Bridget Cahill headline the returners from two seasons ago. Senior center Wickersheim is the leading returning scorer and rebounder, averaging 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore. Junior guard Cahill dished 1.3 assists as a rookie and was an 83.3 percent free throw shooter two years ago. The Roadrunners also welcome a large incoming class that looks to gel with the returners for a successful season this year.
Rutgers-Camden is also young and inexperienced with a very large incoming class. However, the Scarlet Raptors have two very experienced returners looking to lead the squad into the new season. Junior forward Jalissa Pitts is back; the NJAC Second Team honoree last season averaged a conference-high-tying 19.0 points per game and also pulled down 9.3 rebounds per game. Senior forward Tiazha Jackson was a double-digit scorer last year with 10.7 points per outing while also contributing on the boards with 6.5 per game. Head Coach Annette Reiter brings in several new players, including a pair of college transfers in Carleigh Gallasso (G/F, Arcadia) and Salina Jones (F, Philadelphia CC).
The season begins on Saturday, Nov. 6, and the conference is excited for all 10 programs to be back in action in what looks to be an exciting upcoming 2021-22 season.
2021-22 Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. Rowan (6)
2. NJCU (3)
3. Montclair State (1)
4. TCNJ
5. Kean
6. William Paterson
7. Stockton (dark horse)
8. Rutgers-Newark
9. Ramapo
10. Rutgers-Camden