2022 GIRLS ALL-FRESHMEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Christina Liggio | Red Bank Catholic

Christina is flat-out special. Great work ethic and an even better teammate. Played more minutes than any freshmen ever at RBC. A fearless competitor who is a pleasure to coach.

RBC HEAD COACH- Joe Montano

Last spring, I told a college coach I was watching the next Shore Conference Freshman of the Year work. She thought I meant another player. So I said, "no, I am watching CHRISTINA LIGGIO, and she will be the Freshman of the Year." Today I am looking very smart because of that bold prediction. CHRISTINA LIGGIO is THE HOOP GROUP 2022 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR.

There is a separation every year in the spring between rising Freshmen moving on to high school. It's a subtle change that most do not notice. It's a growth period, both maturity and focus-wise. During this time, some kid's ears and eyes open up, and the improvement curve kicks in like clockwork. Last spring, when Christina Liggio began her separation from all others in the 2025 class, we never believed that separation would be the size of the Grand Canyon. It started with a ferocious appetite to work. More importantly, to work properly and consistently. More than anything else, these two things allowed her to race by other talented freshmen. It's also why she had one of the best and most complete freshman seasons in RBC history. That is how good of a freshman season Christina Liggio had. There is a case that she just put together the best freshman season for a Casey's since Christina Danella over 15 years ago.  

There is cocky, and there is confidence. There is nastiness, and then there is toughness. The confidence comes from going to the gym every day and repeating the same thing repeatedly until you know nobody does it better. No freshman shoots the ball like Christina Liggio or does so with her confidence. That cones from her special work ethic. The toughness comes from playing against the state's best Division One bound senior defenders. This is what Christina Liggio did last spring. That toughness comes from allowing her coaches like her trainer Larry Smith and Coach Montano to coach her "hard." All this has produced greatness that comes from being excuse free. You see, there are never any excuses with Christina Liggio. She is the rarest of freshmen; she has the ability to show up every day. Then take stock of her game. She is always in a constant search for truth. She wants to always try and be better the next time. There is never sulking, blaming, or excuse-making. It's all about being better always. Its why no freshman was in her world this season.

When you talk about impact, there has not been a freshman with the effect at RBC like Christina Liggio in years. When is the last time Coach Montano allowed a freshman to guard the opposing team's best player? NEVER. When is the last time at RBC we have seen a freshman with the verbal and communication skills of Christina Liggio? When has Joe Montano leaned on a freshman to carry his offense in big moments? NEVER. When has RBR had a freshman be the difference-maker in big games at RBC and then actually deliver on the big stage? Like being the first freshman named to the WOBM ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM in 14 years. When has anyone won the freshman of the Week so many times we could name the award after her. NEVER! We have not seen a freshman with this type of impact in years. She has been game over hype in the biggest sense of the word. But her stats, like her game this year, have been real.

There is no need to talk about Christina Liggio scoring the first 8-10 points in a "BIG MEANINGFUL" game twice in one season. That's because we have never seen a baby do that before, even from the mega great babies of the past. There is no reason to talk about her being RBC's go-to player this season when senior Justine Pissott was injured. Do we really need to talk about how she always played her best and was often the best two players on the court in RBC's biggest games? Like her 20 points vs. Donavan Catholic in the SCT… her 15 points and 5 rebounds vs. Rutgers Prep… her 11 points off the bench vs. Rumson.. her 18 in the college showcase case vs. ABINGTON with tons of college coaches drooling…her show-stopping 15 vs. Colts Neck… or RBC's most effective player vs. Manasquan. These are things that you can read about and appear in a box score. What doesn't appear in a box score is her all-out hustle. The intangibles only she brings. Like, lose ball, tips, weakside defensive verbal help. Big shot-making ability and an elite basketball IQ. NO!!! Christina Liggio is no box score junkie. This is the real reason college coaches love Christina Liggio. These things have created a gap between her and every other freshman in the Shore. She is on a different planet than other freshmen because of her consistency and seemly constant improvement day-to-day.

Here is a fact. I have not seen a freshman with Christina Liggio's work ethic since SJV's great Kelly Campbell. I have not seen a freshman show up consistently in big games like Christina Liggio since Marina Mabrey. I have not seen a freshman with the mental toughness of Christina Liggio since Kelly Hughes. I have not seen a player more coachable than Christina Liggio… EVER! This all leads me to believe that Christina Liggio may be one of the best to ever wear an RBC uniform before her playing days are done.

There is no doubt that Christina Liggio, like every freshman of the Year before her, will be one of the most recruited players in the state of New Jersey. RBC has come up short in recent years. But with Christina Liggio now taking the lead, I wouldn't bet on that happening much in the next three years. You see, she is a born leader and embraces the big moments. Her two sisters, Christina and Tessa, are both future D1 players and will join her at RBC next season. The real question is, can CHRISTINA stay focused and continue to grow and not join the crowd of those doing the ordinary? Can she not get sucked into that world, so many players fall into as they get older and successful? They get bored, yes! Even the great ones do, with the daily routine. They take shortcuts and work, as they like to say, smarter. They lose their edge and find other ways to go about their day. The few who can get to the finish line are the rare ones we remember most because they become legends. Their work ethic and big performances become things of folklore. They're the ones we never forget. CHRISTINA LIGGIO has a chance to be one of those greats… It is also why she is the runaway winner of THE 2022 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR!… CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RBC AND LIGGIO FAMILY.