FOXBORO, Mass. — Over the years, the NERR Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Showcase has evolved into one of the premier events of the New England high school basketball calendar. The showcase puts a spotlight on the best freshmen and sophomores and the next wave of the region’s stars; it’s churned out dozens of future Division 1 players and even some NBA draft picks in its history.
The 2026 edition may have been the most loaded one yet.
On Friday night, more than 200 prospects from the 2029 and 2030 classes filed into Mass Premier in Foxboro for the North Edition event. It featured some of the well-known names in those classes and even more looking to make a name for themselves, from the top prep schools in the region to smaller public schools.
Six courts hosted games simultaneously for more than two hours, so it was impossible to see everything. But here are 10 standouts from Friday’s event, names you need to keep on your radar as they continue their trajectories.
Josiah Bates, Worcester Academy
Class of 2029, 6-1 guard
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
The single best individual scoring performance I saw belonged to Bates, who poured in at least 20 points over an eight or nine-minute stretch to begin his final game of the night. He was punishing defenders with his quick bursts to the rim, shifty ball-handling and 3-point range, which included one incredibly deep triple that he made look easy. He wasn’t only hunting his shot, too; I saw him make a couple of impressive passes, including one in which he threaded the needle to a teammate under the basket.
Riche Bien-Aime, Brockton HS
Class of 2030, 5-11 guard
Hometown: Brockton, Mass.
I only saw Bien-Aime for a brief portion during the final game session of the night, but he showed more than enough to catch my intrigue. Among the highlights included a terrific sequence in which he hit a 3-pointer, then raced back on defense to block a 3-point attempt, then ran the floor hard the other way to finish a transition play. He later hit another deep pull up 3-pointer, grabbed a steal and score and looked extremely comfortable and skilled as a lead ball-handler. He has my attention for the upcoming MIAA season.
Josiah Broko, Cushing
Class of 2029, 6-8 forward
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
Get familiar with Broko, a newcomer to Cushing after transferring from the Peddie School in New Jersey; he’s going to be an immediate contributor to the Penguins and will undoubtedly be one of the region’s top 2029 prospects. It looked relatively easy for him on Friday night, given no one could really match his athleticism. His explosiveness is real, highlighted by a series of electric dunks in transition. His length was bothersome with multiple deflections and steals, and he even showed off some range with a calm pump fake into a side-step 3-pointer.
Wiji Dak, Tilton
Class of 2029, 6-5 wing
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
Dak recently reclassified to the 2029 class, where he might be the most physical wing in the group. In a highly competitive opening game set – which featured several of his Tilton teammates against multiple members from New Hampton – Dak was relentless getting to the hoop, where he took hard contact on almost every occasion. Most of them went uncalled for fouls by the lone official but I was standing right under the baseline where he was getting continuously whacked but still making finishes. He was a freight train in transition with several loud one-handed dunks, including one on a defender that should have been whistled for a three-point play.
Kleyton Depina, Notre Dame Prep (NY)
Class of 2029, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Pawtucket, R.I.
A new name emerged for me on Friday night with Depina, who had the gym buzzing with his creation tools, passing ability, shiftiness and comfort as a lead guard. From what I saw, he also played for a different team in each of the four game sets, and he was still going strong in his final game. He was a major threat in transition and I caught multiple sweet behind the back passes. He played with a high motor on the offensive glass, too, and showed a 3-point shooting ability. Keep an eye on Depina, who has played with Cape Verde’s U16 national team. He played with Great Barrington Academy last season and will play for Notre Dame Prep under head coach James Cray this season.
Chance Finlayson, St. George’s
Class of 2029, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Newport, R.I.
I already thought Finlayson was the best player in the gym at last season’s Frosh/Soph Showcase, when he was playing against 2028s, and he expectedly fulfilled the hype again on Friday night. It was laughable what he was doing and how effortless he looked while throwing down windmill dunks and making plays only he can pull off with his ridiculous athleticism. Beyond that, he showed great touch around the rim – including one play where he took a bump from a defender and then spun around for a lefty floater – and showcased his mid-range ability. He was comfortable pushing the fast break and hitting shots from deep. Finlayson looks bouncier and even more confident as he heads into his second year at St. George’s.
Tadhg Howard, Thayer
Class of 2030, 6-7 forward
Hometown: Canton, Mass.
I’m still learning more about Howard, who’s already regarded as one of the region’s best 2030 prospects, but I was impressed with his ability to control the paint on both ends. He was dominant on the glass and he looks to have some high-level defensive instincts and timing, including on an impressive block he made rotating from the weak side, and another stop when he walled up under the rim. I’m excited to track his development as he starts his prep career at Thayer.
Xavier McCall, MacDuffie
Class of 2029, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Belchertown, Mass.
McCall missed most of last season with MacDuffie and all of this spring and summer with BABC after suffering a knee injury in early December, but he’s fully healthy now and looks ready for a breakout winter with the Mustangs. He looked incredibly explosive, and I believe he actually broke one of the rims on one of his several dunks. He showed an ability to step out to 3-point territory and also looked comfortable handling the ball in the open floor, which included an impressive play on a step through two defenders in transition for a bucket.
Luke O’Connell, New Hampton
Class of 2029, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
I loved O’Connell’s competitiveness and fire in an intense opening game against a team that had several players from Tilton. He was everywhere. His motor was off the charts, he was all over the defensive glass and he was aggressive offensively. He had one great sequence when he high pointed a defensive rebound, then came down and hit a step-back triple on a defender. O’Connell boasts the intriguing combination of athleticism, skill and shooting ability that should have Division 1 coaches very interested as he continues to grow into his body and development, and he’s not afraid of doing the little things that impact winning, like being active in rebounding and on defense, and even diving on the floor. I love his tools and mindset.
Alex Weaver, Tilton
Class of 2029, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Windsor, Conn.
Fresh off a monster summer with BABC’s 15U team that created some national buzz, Weaver, unsurprisingly, was among the most impressive guards of Friday night. We knew that he possesses a unique passing ability, but it continues to warrant mention of his elite vision and timing. I saw cross-court passes, perfectly executed post entries that led to scores and no-look dimes on plays that only he saw developing. He’s a nightmare to defend with his combination of passing and ability to create for himself with his wiggle, ball-handling and ability to get to his spots. I also saw a relentless motor in 1-on-1 defensive assignments. Weaver is must-watch TV whenever he’s on the court.
Quick shouts: 2029 Tighe Arache (St. Paul’s/Lawrence, Mass.) continued to impress with his inside-out offensive game, hitting 3s while taking defenders off the dribble with his burst and skill. … 2029 Ryan O’Rourke (New Hampton/Bedford, N.H.) was a fluid playmaker who moved well as a 6-foot-6 forward with skill, touch and strong rebounding ability. … 2030 Brendan Fracassa made several plays in my short viewing of him, including three 3-pointers and an impressive drive and smart dump-off pass while hanging in the air. … 2030 Tekye Ivey Jones (St. Andrew’s/Pawtucket, R.I.), a 6-foot-5 guard, has a strong frame with skill and physicality; I saw him absorb contact well for back-to-back scores and also throw down an alley-oop via a teammate’s pass off the backboard.
