One of the best parts about the winter basketball season is watching who emerges as a new star on the prep school scene.
Sure, players have been in the "offseason" since March, but that only means they've been proving themselves on the AAU circuit, in scholastic showcases, or in workouts behind the scenes. Now we get to see that effort pay dividends.
Defining a breakout player is difficult. For this article, I am crossing off folks we have already listed on our 2025, 2026 or 2027 watch lists, or anyone named by the NEPSAC as an All-League member last winter. I'm also skipping over the seven high-profile transfers I wrote about at the start of the fall, though other transfers do make appearances here. Lastly, I passed on players we selected for our preseason All-NEPSAC teams — obviously I think they'll have stellar seasons.
These constraints leave us with a great group of names primed for more significant recognition during the season.
MORE: Preseason All-New England team | NEPSAC Power Rankings
Aliyah Allston-Pujols, Nobles
Class of 2028, 5-10 forward
Hometown: Randolph, Mass.
Allston-Pujols is a rare freshman with the talent and opportunity to make a large impact on a contender. She'll be a key piece as the Bulldogs chase a third consecutive NEPSAC championship. Nobles doesn't need Allston-Pujols to shoulder too much responsibility; they have three star seniors to carry the burden. But Allston-Pujols is a projected starter and leads the supporting cast. She'll be asked to make smart passes, move well without the basketball, finish scoring chances created by her teammates and defend players her size — all skills I observed at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase this summer.
THREE-PEAT TOUR:Â How Nobles is approaching the chase for its third consecutive championship
Maeve Early, Marianapolis
Class of 2027, 5-10 wing
Hometown: North Brookfield, Mass.
Early's captain status says plenty about what she provides as a leader for a young Marianapolis team looking to take a step forward. She's a legitimate sharpshooter, and coach Wes Howard has already spoken about how he expects his team to hoist up a lot of 3s this winter. Early is also strong for her player archetype, she's capable attacking driving lanes and finishing and she keeps the ball moving. As Marianapolis develops its youth and builds chemistry with its impact transfers, Early should be a helpful steadying force.
PRESEASON ALL-NEPSAC TEAMS: Class AAAÂ |Â Class AAÂ |Â Class A | Class B
Ella Getz, Worcester Academy
Class of 2026, 6-1 wing
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
Getz has already gotten her season started; Worcester Academy opened on Wednesday with a 63-49 loss at Wilbraham and Monson. She showed some quick anticipation skills on defense in that game, jumping a few passes to force turnovers before she ran the floor hard to convert transition buckets. The Hilltoppers are in a transition stage as new head coach Dan Sullivan takes the reigns and the team moves on from star Cam Rust. Getz, who scored a handful of mid-major Division 1 offers this summer, should be in position for more opportunities.
AA BREAKDOWN:Â Examining each of the 10 teams before the 2024-25 season
Celeste Harper, Kent
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Demarest, N.J.
Harper joins Kent for a postgrad year but has already committed to Manhattan. She should pair nicely with Morgan Johnson in the backcourt as Kent looks to build on its run to last year's Class A championship game. Harper is a dangerous outside shooter, capable of draining 3s well behind the arc, and she does a good job of dictating the pace of the game when she runs the point. Kent coach Jason Coulombe gave a glowing review of Harper's development since she joined the program, so I'm excited to see how she looks in game action.
Aisha "Oushy" Salem Hassan, Sacred Heart
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt
Sacred Heart has quite a few talented guards, but the transfer Hassan made waves when she committed to Arkansas on Nov. 2. She already has an impressive list of accolades as a former Basketball Without Borders MVP and member of the Egyptian U17 and U19 national teams. A high-motor scorer and defender, her pairing with Eva Wilkerson in the backcourt should make for some fun, fast-paced hoops.
Zoe Knight, St. Andrew's
Class of 2027, 6-0 wing
Hometown: South Kingstown, R.I.
We could go in a bunch of different directions with this St. Andrew's roster — Maysen Hill technically qualifies for this list, even though she's a Fordham commit and already well-known. I chose Knight because she's one of the younger players on the team, but she should have an impact role. Coach Christina Batastini said Knight is among the best pure athletes she has ever coached.
"She's just a complete athletic freak, and I say that with massive amounts of respect," Batastini said. "Defends, rebounds, tremendous in transition, can get to the cup, also hitting her 3s."
Knight won't have to do much outside of her strengths in St. Andrew's rotation with all the veteran talent around her. If she's a consistent cutter, shooter and transition player, she's going to find a lot of easy opportunities to cash in on her athletic gifts.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS:Â Why St. Andrew's believes its veteran roster is ready for Class AAA
Casey Stores, New Hampton
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Bellingham, Mass.
Stores jumped right into major minutes on a young Huskies roster last season. It was a rough learning curve, but she had some big scoring outbursts as a freshman. New Hampton will need another lead scoring presence next to Elyse Ngenda and Serenity Lancaster. Stores, who impressed me over the summer with her sharpshooting, speed and ability to attack straight lines, has all the tools for a major level-up.
GROWING UP:Â Here's what has New Hampton's young team excited about a new season
Ruby Thompson, Austin Prep
Class of 2027, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
When I checked in with Austin Prep during the fall, top players Tiffany Burns and Fope Ayo emphatically claimed that Thompson had a breakout year lined up. Thompson is the scoring complement to Burns' athletic playmaking and Ayo's interior presence. She's a phenomenal outside shooter, but Thompson also does a nice job taking advantage of open space in the mid-range and making plays without forcing bad shots. Austin Prep is going to lean heavily on its standout trio as it moves up to Class AA this winter, and I think Thompson's experience in the third-year NEPSAC program will really start to pay off.
GETTING COMFORTABLE:Â What to expect from Austin Prep in Year 3 as a NEPSAC school
Mathi Toure, Storm King
Class of 2025, 6-1 forward
Hometown: Sweden
Toure has already picked up offers from Central Connecticut State and Long Island, but the transfer from Sweden (who last played in Hong Kong) is still mostly an unknown here. That will change fast. She's a prolific post scorer who establishes positioning quickly and displays touch with both hands on hook shots and layups. Toure should also serve as a viable defensive anchor with her athleticism and timing on blocked shots. Storm King could surprise few people this year, and Toure would be among the headliners in the collective breakout.
Olivia White, St. Luke's
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
On the stat sheet, White's first year in NEPSAC went pretty well: 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game. But coach Kwame Burwell explained that she still had to undergo a significant adjustment period after not playing the most of the prior season due to injuries. White is a powerful driving finisher with her frame and ability to shrug off contact. She clearly rebounds well for her position and has improved her overall court sense. With star guard Cam Nelson drawing most of the defense's attention, White could make opponents pay even more severely this season.
PROSPECT WATCH:Â Why Nelson is one of the region's top talents
