NJ basketball talent ready to spice up March Madness at all levels, including D2 and D3

Melanie Anzidei, NorthJersey.com
·4 min read

March Madness is here, and all eyes will soon be on the court.

It’s an exciting time for fans of college basketball — remember that historic run by the Saint Peter's Peacocks last March?

This time of year also serves as an uncomfortable reminder of the NCAA’s monumental flop in 2021, when the blatant inequities between the men’s and women’s Division I locker rooms and other amenities during the COVID bubble went viral. Each year when we get to the start of the postseason, it’s hard not to ask — have we improved since?

The easy answer is — yes. The more honest answer is — yes, but there’s still lots to do.

The fact that the NCAA’s Division I title game will broadcast this season on ABC for the first time is huge. It would be even better if it were on prime time. Either way, this “has been a goal for quite some time in our ongoing efforts to maximize the exposure of women’s sports in collaboration with the NCAA,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’S president for programming and original content, told AP.

Last year’s championship game between South Carolina and UConn drew 4.85 million viewers, making it the most watched women’s title game in nearly two decades.

Apr 3, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Destanni Henderson (3) and the rest of the Gamecocks celebrate their 64-49 victory over the UConn Huskies in the Final Four championship game of the women's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Destanni Henderson (3) and the rest of the Gamecocks celebrate their 64-49 victory over the UConn Huskies in the Final Four championship game of the women's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s tournament will be in Dallas, and, for the first time since 2016, the Division II and Division III championship games will be held in the same city and on the same weekend as the Division I Final Four.

It remains to be seen which Division I or Division II teams will secure a spot in the tournament.

In New Jersey, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s women’s basketball team may be on the verge of clinching their first-ever NCAA tournament bid — after falling short last season. The Knights will first have to get through the Northeast Conference tournament, which begins on March 6.

As for Division III, the post-season began Friday night with 64 teams competing in the NCAA tournament’s first round. New Jersey teams in the mix included Rowan University, which lost their first round matchup with Rhode Island College Friday night 67-59, and Stevens Institute of Technology, which lost to Elizabethtown College of Pennsylvania 79-68.

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There are also some teams with strong ties to the Garden State, including New York University, which has a strong showing of New Jersey talent on its roster.

NYU this year had a historic season, with an impressive 22-2 record. The Violets won 11 consecutive games to finish out their regular season, earning back-to-back outright UAA titles after downing Brandeis University last week. Three players on the roster hail from New Jersey: sophomores Chloe Teter of Little Silver and Belle Pellecchia of Mendham, and junior Jordan Janowski of Woodcliff Lake.

NYU beat Greensboro Friday night, 71-54, and was set to play Messiah in the second round Saturday night.

Belle Pellecchia (left), of Mendham, N.J., and Natalie Bruns (right) of the New York University women's basketball team celebrate at a recent game.
Belle Pellecchia (left), of Mendham, N.J., and Natalie Bruns (right) of the New York University women's basketball team celebrate at a recent game.

Scranton also has a roster filled with players who hail from New Jersey: Maddie Hartnett, a junior from Chatham; Leah Nolan, a junior from Holmdel; Emma Duerr, a senior from Long Valley; and Bridget Monaghan, a senior from Florham Park. If Monaghan’s name rings a bell, she’s cousins with former Gotham FC soccer star Paige Monaghan of Roxbury.

Scranton won their first round matchup Friday night, 64-45 over St. Joseph's of Maine.

There are plenty of teams with Garden State talent in this year’s tournament.

Tufts University’s roster includes Sophia Davis, a freshman from Piscataway; Hannah Kelly, a junior from Harding Township: and Maggie Russell, a junior from Morristown. They won their first round game against Merchant Marine, 72-57.

Gettysburg College, which lost Friday to SUNY New Paltz 63-47, has freshman Courtney Kelly of Morristown, and sophomore Cynthia Williams of New Brunswick.

Trinity College in Hartford, which beat Notre Dame of Maryland 58-43 Friday, has freshman Samantha Slofkiss of Marlboro, and Emma Wax, a junior from Pine Brook.

Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, a Division I school, lost to Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament Friday night. On the roster are junior Olivia Mullins of Somerset and junior Emma Boslet of Edison.

The list goes on, and is by no means inclusive of all the Jersey talent in this year’s tournament — but as the tournament stretches on, we’ll be sure to shine a light on who remains.

March is clearly an exciting time for college basketball.

But I’d argue it’s an even more exciting time for women’s college basketball. Because the women’s game is growing, and we get to witness this moment with a front row seat.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ basketball players in March Madness ready to impress