ASHLEY KREIGER– RANNEY- 6’4- FORWARD
This year’s 2027 HOOP GROUP FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR was not much of a mystery, ASHLEY KREIGER, winning the prestigious award is not a surprise to many because she is the best freshman in the state according to most. She certainly has caught the eyes of college coaches. Kreiger has multiple D1 and Power offers on the table. She is the only freshman in the Shore Conference that can say this, these days. ASHLEY KREIGER’S rise to stardom was been predicted. When legendary coach and trainer Rich Leary said “she will be one of the best post players in New Jersey”…He was 100% correct. Because ASHLEY KREIGER these days is already one of the most dominating post players in the Shore Conference.
The growth of a player is always the measuring stick of a players greatness. ASHLEY KREIGER has had more growth than many players will have in a career. She has the one baby in the Shore Conference every opponent had to game-plan for night in and night out. Something that is usually reserved for the stars not baby stars Her size, strength and offensive talents make her a nightmare matchup for just about every team in the state. Her soft touch around the basketball and physical style of play in the paint, makes her a prime recruit for just about every P5 school in the country. ASHLEY KREIGER has willed herself into greatness. She has progressed faster than anyone could have possibly imagined. She suffered a ACL injury and many thought it would be years before she could get fully healthy. What they didn’t know was Ashley is that rare post player who is a gym rat. She not only got healthy she got better, a whole lot better in fact.
This past season ASHLEY KREIGER was Ranney’s 2nd leading scorer and leading rebounder. She had 306 points and 159 rebounds. But the real story is that she got these numbers against the best competition the Shore has to offer. It’s one thing for a freshman to put up numbers. But it’s other thing getting numbers vs the best competition, the real competition. We are talking massive numbers against top teams in the Shore. She had a double/double vs Homdel with a number of college coaches in the stands watching. She had 16 and 10 vs Top 20 Hudson Catholic. She had 24 points vs Holy Cross, she had one of many double/doubles with12 points and 10 rebounds vs South Jersey powerhouse, Wildwood Catholic in the state tournament. She had 8 points and 15 rebounds vs # 4 ranked St. Rose. It would be silly to go on about her accomplishments. But no freshman in the state of New Jersey was in her world. This was a season where ASHLEY KREIGER seemed to grow up and mature faster than most people expected. Her intensity as player grew and her competitive nature grew as well. No player in recent years took more abuse from opponents. But yet she keep her cool and her response to the miss treatment by opponents and officials was better performances. But what was most impressive, was ASHLEY KREIGER being so dominate while playing half a game most nights. Rarely did the Freshman play 25-30 minutes in a game. What she did do was maximize her time on the floor. Despite being double and triple teamed all season. These are the reasons, she is the best freshman in the Shore Conference and maybe the the state.
Ashley made an impact in every facet of the game this season for us. After spending over a year rehabbing after her ACL injury, she worked tirelessly to come back strong and her presence was immediately felt at the start of the season. Not only did Ashley play huge roles for us on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, her energy and desire to compete helped propel our success this season. Ashley is always striving to get better and she is just scratching the surface of her potential.
Katelyn Linney, Head Coach Ranney
Last Summer,ASHLEY KREIGER put in massive hours at the gym in an effort to step up her game up. She changed her body and improved her conditioning. But she lost her mentor and coach Rich Leary…something nobody saw coming. Just like we didn’t see this confident, dominating force approach us this season. She honored Rich Leary with a season that certainly would have had him smiling with pride. My guess is that this Summer ASHLEY KREIGER will take her improvements to another level and join that shore list of great players in New Jersey. There is no doubt Ashley is still has work to do as a player, but one thing is clear: she’s willing to do to the work. And if last year was any type of sign, we are looking at possibly the most dominating player in the Shore Conference one day. Her smile and joy for the game is clear to anyone who has watched her play. She is the ultimate teammate. She’s unselfish and more than willing to share the spotlight with her teammates, coaches and family. This is a player that will for years be the face of post players in the state of New Jersey. She can play with her back to the basket, step out and shoot or play the role of play maker at 6’4? This is a different animal and a very special player. For now we all should just enjoy the ride and stay tuned while watching this young lady continue to grow… She joins a long list of greats that have one this very special award...CONGRATS TO THE 2020 HOOP GROUP FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ASHLEY KREIGER OF RANNEY HIGH SCHOOL