STOUGHTON, Mass. — The grassroots season has arrived.
If you’re a boys AAU program in New England, chances are you were at the Dana Barros Basketball Club over the weekend for Zero Gravity’s annual New England Recruiting Report Northeast Hoops Festival. The event featured hundreds of programs throughout the region, at several age and talent levels, as essentially the kickoff to the AAU season.
The five courts at Dana Barros were buzzing all weekend. From both a team and player perspective, the event served as an important starting point to the spring and summer; teams were looking for strong opening weekends in pursuit of circuit championships this summer, while recruits had their first chance of receiving exposure in their chase for a scholarship. It was also a rare opportunity for some of New England’s top AAU programs to play each other before they head out on their own circuit schedules around the country.
It was fun to get a glimpse of some familiar faces, especially rising seniors, who are looking to build on strong school seasons, and also discover a few new names. I didn’t get a chance to see everything – I’m looking forward to seeing and writing about much more over the next several months – but here are some standouts and observations that caught my attention.
17U
Sage Baptiste, Team Sims
Class of 2026, 6-7 wing
Hometown: Wareham, Mass.
Fresh off an All-NEPSAC and All-ISL winter, the strong Tabor wing looked terrific alongside Seawolves teammate Trevor Payne, who also impressed. Baptiste was a matchup problem with his combination of size, athleticism, shooting and slashing ability. He poured in 30 points with 10 rebounds vs. Team New England as he more than held his own against a big frontcourt. One play that stood out: Baptise grabbed an offensive rebound over TNE’s Collins Onyejiaka – a nationally-ranked 6-foot-11 prospect – before hitting a turnaround jumper over him from the free-throw line. He made multiple impressive drives to the rim as he shook off defenders with his size, made finishes with both hands and found spots and created space for pull-up jumpers. He was efficient with his offensive game and didn’t force any bad shots.
Alex Egbuonu, BABC
Class of 2026, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Nashua, N.H.
Egbuonu will have more high-majors calling about him with performances like he put on Saturday, when he scored 30 points – including five 3-pointers – with eight rebounds in BABC’s 80-55 win over Connecticut Elite HGSL. The Lawrence Academy’s star shot-making at all three levels was on display, including a baseline fallaway jumper that I’ve seen him hit several times over the last year. He’s as tough of a cover as there is at this level.
Amir Jenkins, BABC
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
Less than a month after leading Worcester Academy to a NEPSAC championship and winning the association’s Class AA Player of the Year, Jenkins isn’t slowing down now. He was unstoppable in BABC’s win over Crown on Saturday as he continuously kept the defense off-balanced with his creativity and quickness to score and make plays for others; his portfolio of moves included where he spun in the lane, pump-faked and stepped through into a floater, and another when he drove with his left and went behind his back into a jumper.
Jenkins is one of the most dynamic offensive threats in the region with his combination of ball-handling skills, finishing moves and flat-out ability to make plays, and he’s only getting better. I didn’t see his outside shot on Saturday, but that’s an area he’s working to be more consistent in as he enters a big spring and summer for his recruitment.
Ryan Moesch, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Hometown: Chittenango, N.Y.
There’s little doubt that Moesch’s gifted offensive game and momentum from a strong first season with Cushing will translate to the grassroots circuit with the Magic, and he showed that Saturday with plenty of eye-popping, athletic drives and plays. But beyond his obvious talents, Moesch’s competitive pride has always impressed me. To that point, one play stood out to me in the Magic’s victory over Mass Rivals; Moesch committed a tough turnover that led to a transition opportunity for Rivals, but the point guard didn’t give up on the play, raced back and executed a perfectly-timed block at the rim. Those types of plays are contagious.
Chinedu Okpara, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Bronxville, N.Y.
Okpara reclassified from the 2025 to 2026 class in late February in the midst of an All-NEPSAC season with Wilbraham & Monson, and if his opening weekend is any indication, he should be getting the attention he’s looking for this spring and summer. The bouncy forward showed potential as a two-way threat with an impressive block at the rim and some offensive versatility, using his long, athletic frame to make a few impressive finishes. I liked his toughness and physicality, too. He fought off a defender to create space for a pull-up jumper, and one sequence stood out when he corralled multiple offensive rebounds to keep a possession alive.
Patrick Otey, Expressions Elite
Class of 2027, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
This was my first chance in person to see Otey – the No. 24-ranked recruit by 24/7 Sports in the 2027 class, who left CATS to join Overtime Elite last year – and I came away very impressed. Otey returned in January from an MCL injury and that setback looks to be far behind him now. Offensively, he’s extremely polished, skilled and has an advanced feel for the game, especially for his age. He had a sequence against Crown when he knocked down a 3-pointer, then hit teammate Jaylen Hunter-Coleman with a no-look pass in transition for a dunk. He continuously broke down defenders off the dribble and consistently made the right reads for himself and his teammates. I’m excited to see how Otey’s recruitment picks up this summer.
16U
Michael Bradley Jr., Rhode Island Elite
Class of 2027, 6-5 guard/wing
Hometown: Manchester, Conn.
The first game I watched when I walked into Dana Barros on Saturday was the 16U matchup between Rhode Island Elite and Connecticut Elite, and Bradley was an easy standout. His athleticism was up there with the best I saw this weekend; he had several dunks, including a really impressive one-handed flush. He plays above the rim, and does the little things. He made a great pass to a cutting teammate for a game-winning bucket with 20 seconds to go. The East Catholic High School guard is a name to watch.
Karell Brown, Rhode Island Elite
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Stratford, Conn.
After leading Bunnell High School to a second consecutive CIAC Division 3 championship, Brown is looking to carry that momentum into the spring. He’s off to a good start. The athletic guard made play after play in Rhode Island Elite’s 16U win over Connecticut Elite and was incredibly active on both sides of the ball. I saw grab two steals in a short sequence, including one in the backcourt before he made a no-look pass to a teammate for a bucket. On one drive to the hoop, he stopped on a dime, let two defenders fly by him before scoring, and later on he finished an athletic three-point play. Brown is a fun player to watch who makes an impact on both ends.
Michael D’Ambra, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2027, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Warwick, R.I.
D’Ambra, a star at Rhode Island powerhouse Bishop Hendricken, has started to make a name for himself as a timely shooting threat, and that’s already continued this spring as a member of the Magic’s top 16U squad. The guard scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers, in the Magic’s 16U championship victory over Team New England to finish the weekend 5-0. Head coach Michael Crotty was proud of the toughness his wings showed – which also included big plays from Preston Bollin (Brockton, Mass.) – that wore down TNE in the late stages.
Theo Edema, Team New England
Class of 2027, 7-0 center
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
Edema, who emerged as a central piece in Cushing’s Class AA regular-season championship this winter, picked up where he left off this weekend, mostly on defense. Team New England had a clear size advantage in most of its matchups because of Edema, and his rim protection was consistent. I counted four blocks in the first half of the 16U championship game on Sunday against the Magic, when he overcame a brief injury scare to his knee to make a big impact. His free-throw shooting was impressive, too; I didn’t keep a tally, but I don’t remember him missing one, which is a good sign for his potential as a shooter. Edema, who already holds offers from Creighton and Stanford, is primed for a breakout spring and summer.
Leftover thoughts…
1. There was a buzz in the gym about three promising New Hampshire freshmen who played up for Mass Rivals’ 17U 3SSB team this weekend. Without stars Sebastian Wilkins, Antonio Pemberton, Warren Keel and Brayson Green, head coach Vin Pastore called up Finn McCauley (Portsmouth, N.H.), Derek Swartz (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Wiji Dak (Bedford, N.H.) to cut their teeth against some of the best in the region, and they held their own, including nearly knocking off Team New England. Swartz is a dynamic guard, a pure scorer with a strong feel for the game. Keep an eye out for these three.
2. The play of the weekend goes to Team White Mamba’s Lino Sanchez (Dorchester, Mass.). The 2026 guard from Beaver Country Day hit an absurd half-court buzzer-beater to defeat BCRI and complete a 4-0 weekend for Brian Scalabrine’s crew.
3. BABC’s 17U squad looked impressive – with Jenkins and Egbuonu running the show – but Leo Papile’s group will soon get a big reinforcement. Sam Fleming (Springfield, Mass.), who’s been out since January with an injury, is expected to return in the matter of weeks. The 6-foot-7 wing from Wilbraham & Monson is one of the best prospects in New England.
