NEW HAVEN, Conn. — While many players around New England made their college commitments official earlier this month as the early signing period began, there are even more still without future college homes.
With the prep school season starting, there are several chances for uncommitted players to impress in their pursuit of a scholarship and commitment. One of the first came last weekend at the National Prep Showcase at Albertus Magnus, a three-day event that featured some of the top prep teams in the region, and their unsigned players.
College assistants across the country – from high-major Division 1 schools like Iowa to Division 3 schools – flocked to New Haven to catch a glimpse of prospects who are still on the board in the 2025 class. Several of them performed exceptionally well and undoubtedly boosted their recruitment in the process.
I caught the final two days of the showcase on Saturday and Sunday, and focused on players specifically from New England schools. Here are 15 uncommitted recruits in the 2025 class who impressed at the National Prep Showcase.
Brandon Benjamin
St. Thomas More, 6-7 forward
Hometown: Newark, N.J.
The Chancellors are stock full of newcomers looking to pick up college interest, and Benjamin boosted himself as much as anyone. He had 19 points and 14 boards in Friday’s win over Perkiomen, and while his numbers weren’t as big on Saturday, he was still a force on both ends around the rim, including a sequence in which he had a putback and followed it up with a block.
Nate Brazil
South Kent, 5-11 guard
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Brazil was electric in South Kent’s close loss to Massanutten Military Academy, piling up 25 points and eight assists. He thrived with the ball in the open floor and put constant pressure on the defense with his quickness and decisiveness. He finished several three-point plays, and was constantly getting to the rim with ease and drawing fouls, evidenced by going 8-for-10 from the foul line.
Jordan Brown
Darrow, 6-2 guard
Hometown: Annapolis, Md.
Darrow has several talented guards, and Brown might be the sleeper of the group. He had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the Ducks’ 30-point win over Fork Union, and while it was not his best shooting day – he went 2-for-9 from distance – he still made a strong impact. There should be even bigger days coming in Darrow’s up-tempo style.
RELATED: 10 team takeaways from the National Prep Showcase
Adam Chiacchia
South Kent, 6-8 forward
Hometown: Hamburg, N.Y.
With South Kent star Badara Diakite out of the lineup and working his way back to form, Chiacchia has stepped up in a big way and given the Cardinals a strong presence in the post. He put up lines of 15 points and eight rebounds, then 12 points and five rebounds. He was instrumental in Sunday’s win, showing off his athleticism on two plays specifically; a steal and two in transition, then an acrobatic up-and-under for two in the game’s late stages.
Leo Curtis
CATS, 7-1 center
Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland
Curtis continued his strong start in New England with 13 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks in CATS’ big 74-56 victory over the Knox School. He was a matchup nightmare for Knox, especially in the early going as he made several easy finishes at the rim.
Gus Fried
New Hampton, 6-4 guard
Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.
Fried’s stat line in New Hampton’s win over Western Reserve – seven points, two assists and one steal – won’t jump off the page, but he was impactful on both ends for the Huskies as he showed good defensive instincts and a good touch around the rim when he had his scoring opportunities.
Brayson Green
Putnam Science, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Beverly, Mass.
As Putnam Science head coach Tom Espinosa continues to figure out his best rotation, Green made a strong case this weekend. He had 12 points and six rebounds in just 13 minutes in Friday’s win over Sunrise Christian, and while he had a quieter day Saturday, I still liked his energy on both ends. He had one eye-opening sequence when he snatched a lob on defense out of mid-air before finishing a ridiculous alley-oop over a defender on the next possession.
Jalen Harper
Newman, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Harper had one of the best all-around performances of the weekend for unsigned 2025 players. He made critical winning plays in Newman’s improbable comeback to force overtime against Sunrise Christian Academy. Down two in the final seconds of regulation, he forced a steal on a long inbounds pass before making a back cut and scoring the game-tying layup at the buzzer. In Sunday’s win over Massanutten Military Academy, Harper scored 21 assists with six assists. He was unstoppable getting to the rim, and even adjusted to make great passes when the defense collapsed on him. He made all the plays late as Newman pulled away for the victory.
Daye Kaba
Vermont Academy, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Harlem, N.Y.
Kaba is a sleeper to watch on a Vermont Academy squad that showed great promise this weekend in New Haven, where the wing demonstrated his three-level scoring ability. He scored 17 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting in a convincing win over Central Florida Academy before adding 14 points with five assists in a close loss to Link Year Prep. Kaba is a dynamic slasher who has a mature game, understanding where to get to his spots with a strong mid-range jumper and confident 3-point stroke.
Tahlan Pettway
St. Thomas More, 6-2 guard
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
Listed at 150 pounds, Pettway may not be the most physically imposing guard but he is one of the most exciting guards to watch in New England. He was only credited for three assists over St. Thomas More’s two games, but he played a very unselfish brand of basketball. He was lightning quick in the open floor, and he’s shifty with the ball with an ability to use both hands to attack. He has a handful of offers from low-level Division 1 schools, and I’m fascinated to see how his recruitment unfolds this winter. There’s a lot of potential here as his body continues to mature.
Nico Pena
Putnam Science, 6-0 guard
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
Like Green, Pena earned himself some expanded opportunities this winter with a strong weekend. He was impactful on both ends in Saturday’s victory over Hargrave Military Academy, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds off the bench as he hit a couple of 3-pointers and made several hustle plays. Pena had an opportunity to walk on at Wagner last season, but went to Putnam for another prep year in an effort to boost his recruitment. A terrific shooter, Pena should see Division 2 interest and maybe even some Div. 1 attention.
Jakye Rainey
Vermont Academy, 6-1 guard
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
I’ve been super high on Rainey since I saw him at the NEPSAC showcase at Babson this summer, and he showed flashes of his electric play style this weekend. He had 18 points in Vermont Academy’s loss to Link Year Prep on Saturday, which included a really strong first half in which he went on a heater and hit four 3-pointers. He did commit six turnovers, so there’s certainly some maturation to be made this winter, but so far, it seems that he’s transitioned mostly well to New England and better competition. The college interest should soon follow.
Ryan Sullivan
Worcester Academy, 6-9 forward
Hometown: Auburn, Mass.
Sullivan is attracting interest from some high-academic Division 3 schools and low-level Division 1 programs, and they should be enticed by a prospect who does the little things that impact winning. He stuffed the stat sheet nicely with seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists and one steal and block in Worcester Academy’s blowout win over OSL Prep, and he was working his tail off throughout his 22 minutes. Five of his boards were on the offensive glass, he had an impressive steal and breakaway flush and had another strong sequence in which he blocked a shot and then ran the floor hard to finish a dunk on the other end. Sullivan epitomizes hustle.
Cheickna Sylla
Bridgton, 6-10 center
Hometown: Bamako, Mali
You’d be hard-pressed to find a big man who helped himself more this weekend than Sylla, who had 16 points and five boards in a Friday loss to Hargrave before producing an eye-popping 28 points and 22 rebounds (including 11 offensive) in Bridgton’s Saturday morning blowout win over Central Florida Academy. Sylla was dynamic in the post, demonstrating great footwork on one play when he pump-faked a shot into a spin move for two, and even scored on a lefty hook off the window. Sylla also showed an ability to find teammates with good passes, reflected in his three assists on Saturday. Sylla still has a lot of room to grow, specifically with his shooting, but he’s worth buying some stock in.
Tim Walker
South Kent, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Accokeek, Md.
Walker was sensational in South Kent’s huge win over IMG Academy on Sunday, finishing with 17 points, four assists and four steals. He won the game for the Cardinals in the final minute, hitting a 3-pointer to put them up four before he sealed the game with an impressive sequence, scoring an acrobatic layup on a backdoor cut to put them up four again and then forcing a steal and diving on the floor to secure the loose ball.
Walker made a huge two-way impact in the win. He has the ability to score at all three levels, and South Kent head coach Craig Carter told me he asked for the assignment to defend IMG’s Jordan Tillery, who’s a VCU commit.
“I’m hoping some people buy some stock in Tim Walker,” Carter said. “He’s really, really good.”
