WORCESTER, Mass. — Just before the rain and wind rolled in this weekend, NERR held its second girls Frosh/Soph Elite 75 Showcase at Worcester Academy.
This is one of the more valuable fall showcase events for me. I learned a lot about the 2029 and 2030 classes, whose spotlights are only growing as they move through high school. Friday's slate brought together some top prospects in New England who I know well, some new prep school transfers from out of the region who I wanted to watch for the first time, and even some surprising names from smaller area schools who I had never heard of before.
But the theme from the three-game slate: effort. I really appreciated the compete level from many players across multiple teams. Sometimes showcases can feel like they're about showing off buckets and dribble moves. But quite a few players appear on my standouts list for their hustle and defensive aptitude. It's fun to see high motors in such a young age group.
As always, a reminder that I write standouts off what I see — and I cannot see nearly everything at a showcase like this. But the event gave me plenty to write about. Here are 12 players who impressed me and who I will keep an eye out for as they develop their games.
Daisy Jane Berg, Peoples Academy
Class of 2029, 5-0 guard
Hometown: Morristown, Vt.
Berg's energy and passing flair far outshone her size. She was whipping one-handed dimes ahead in transition, making sweet dump-off assists and even dishing out some behind-the-back passes. Berg also has a phenomenal handle for her age and she's confident driving into traffic. She applied a ton of pressure to opposing guards, even picking up full-court at times and forcing turnovers. She also shows flashes of deep-range shooting.
Peoples Academy is a tiny high school in northern Vermont with less than 300 students. It's awesome to see Berg come down for a showcase like this and shine.
Lily Coleman, Southwick
Class of 2030, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Southwick, Mass.
Coleman showed a nice first step off her drives and was able to break through defenses several times for layups. I also liked her poise finishing at the basket through contact and ease getting to some mid-range shots. Coleman took on some of the more difficult defensive matchups in this showcase and battled 1-on-1 against some bigger and stronger guards. She was another surprise player to me coming from an MIAA Division 4 program, and I'll have to keep Southwick on my radar this winter.
McKenzie Evans, Notre Dame Prep
Class of 2029, 5-7 (estimate) guard
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
Evans was one of the stronger point guards at the showcase, making a difficult and-1 layup at the end of one game and consistently withstanding contact at the rim. She made a high-level transition assist in the first game I watched and also knocked down an above-the-break 3. I liked her competitive fire and her willingness to set off-ball screens and cut as well.
Lailah Johnson, Cheshire
Class of 2030, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Waterbury, Conn.
Johnson managed to escape three defenders trapping her full-court with one of the most impressive individual ball-handling moments I saw on Friday. I think she has a lot of promise with her offensive skill and length as a growing guard. Johnson showed off a comfortable 3-point shot and beat defenders off the dribble on quick drives. She took on a ton of physicality defending the ball too and kept battling.
Jaelyn Lydick, Westbrook
Class of 2030, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Westbrook, Maine
I applaud the high motor Lydick played with throughout the entire showcase. She was a phenomenal offensive rebounder for her position and repeatedly created second chances. Lydick's poise as a lead guard and communication skills have improved quite a lot. She made a quality skip pass assist on a 3, converted a difficult cutting layup through contact and sought to pressure the basket whenever she could. I think Lydick's year-over-year growth is legit and has made her one of Maine's more notable long-term guard talents.
Sydney McNeal, Deerfield
Class of 2030, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
I watched McNeal block three players at the rim in roughly a five-minute stretch during her last game. Against players her age, she's a size mismatch who still moves well guarding the ball and is great at timing up her contests. McNeal is also a strong driving guard who finishes well around the basket, and she can step out and hit a 3. Her physical tools at her age make her a very interesting prospect and I'm excited to see how her first year at Deerfield goes.
Aliya Monroe, Deerfield
Class of 2029, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
Deerfield has really hit the recruiting trail in an effort to boost up its girls program. Monroe is another notable addition from outside New England who has already received some Division 1 offers. On Friday, she ran the floor hard and finished some difficult off-balance layups. Monroe hit a corner 3 and also had a nice driving runner, showing some confidence putting the ball on the floor at her size. She's a long wing/forward who pairs her athletic advantages with some flashes of skill.
Nahla Perkins, Nobles
Class of 2029, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
The best players at these sorts of showcases should prove they're beyond the level of their age group. That was Perkins in this instance, who was easily the top player I watched. She was insane defending the ball and shutting down almost every 1-on-1 opportunity, plus she felt like a constant threat to rotate in help and swat a shot at the rim. My first notable sequence I saw was Perkins still up for a block and taking the ball coast-to-coast for a layup. She flies down the open floor and can make layups at different angles.
Perkins appears on our 2029 prospect watch list and I cannot wait to see what her impact is at Nobles this winter.
Campbell Powers, Worcester Academy
Class of 2029, 5-10 wing
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
I know Worcester Academy head coach Dan Sullivan is excited about his 2029 class. Powers was the most impressive Hilltopper to me at this showcase and gave one of my favorite defensive performances. She was a menace guarding the ball with active hands, swatted one opponent during a 1-on-1 transition sequence and added a big block guarding a stronger post player. She also made a sweet driving layup in the first game I saw, spinning back and scoring through contact.
Amelia Rossiter, St. Johnsbury
Class of 2029, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Morristown, Vt.
Teamed up with Powers and our next standout, Rossiter quietly did a little bit of everything. She's not afraid to drive around a screen or handoff and score. She'll break out a hesi move on occasion to shake a defender. She slides her feet well and makes quality defensive contests. Rossiter also broke out a one-dribble pull-up 3 when I was watching. I liked how she picked her spots to be aggressive with the ball and her general feel for the game on defense. Rossiter was one of my favorite surprise performers and I'm excited to follow her season in Vermont.
Alem Teng, Proctor
Class of 2029, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
Teng possesses unique length and physical tools at her position, and it helps her be more versatile beyond just guard skills. She took on some tough defensive assignments and outmuscled players. Then when teams put forwards on her, she was able to shake them with drives. Teng had a nice baseline drive into a layup and consistently fought for rebounds. She seems to be growing more confident as a spot-up shooter too.
Zahara Wilson, Tabor
Class of 2030, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Wilson stood out simply for how she plays consistently under control. She did a great job reading defenders and beating them on some drives, and she knows how get to her rhythm pull-up shots in the mid-range. Wilson can hit cutters with well-timed passes and she also chased down a huge transition block. She's one of the younger prep transfers I'm most excited to see during the winter.
Quick shouts: Brooks 2029 guard Amiyah Martin was another high-effort leader with her defense and rebounding. She also made a solid drive-and-kick read for an assist. ... I sadly missed most of watching Lila McCarty (Newman )play, but she was one of the top 2029s at the showcase and looked strong in the brief moments I caught. I also saw her teammate Jen Xue (Milton Academy) hit a long-range three, and it's good to see Xue back after missing most of the spring and summer with an injury.
... Emma and Lucy Loverme (Barrington) both stood out as speedy open-floor scorers and versatile 2030 wings. ... I thought 2029 wing Harper Williams (St. Luke's) leveraged her strength successfully in the post and also made solid cuts. ... Some of the other better sharpshooting and scoring guards I saw included 2029 Sophie Fresco (Framingham) and 2030s Lecia Browne (Cushing) and Liemarie Gonzalez (Wheeler). ... Framingham 2029 forward Jazzy Marshall showed off an interesting mix of strength and mid-range shooting touch.
