School is back in session, and we have some prominent student-athletes in new places this fall.
As NEPSAC teams release their open gym schedules and turn practices up a notch, the first big question becomes: Who's playing where? Several stars from New England state association schools have transferred into NEPSAC, and notably, we're also seeing quite a few stars change prep programs — with coaches taking note.
All seven of the NEPSAC newcomers we highlighted last fall emerged as key pieces on their teams. We're expanding the list significantly to account for the prep-to-prep movement, as well as some true new superstars and even some out-of-region (and international) transfers. That being said, this isn't everyone, and there are still more names to learn through out upcoming preview coverage.
For now, here are 17 names I'm confident will have a major impact on NEPSAC girls basketball this winter.
COACHES' SURVEY: Best prep players | Best prep teams | NEPSAC excitement, concerns
Taelor Arnold, Darrow
Class of 2027, 5-2 guard
Hometown: East Hartford, Conn.
Small guard hive stand up! Arnold is one of several intriguing newcomers at Darrow and she'll help fill the void left by Amanda Smith (now at East Carolina). She generated some buzz at Ethel Walker last winter before transferring, then picked up Division 1 offers from schools like UMBC and Monmouth during the grassroots season. Arnold makes up for her small stature with a tight handle, great change of pace off the dribble and a fearless embrace of contact around the basket. If she meets the challenge of competing in Darrow's stout defensive style, Arnold could provide the extra dimension needed to reach a Class AA title.
Maddie Benigni, Hamden Hall
Class of 2027, 5-5 guard
Hometown: Middletown, Conn.
Benigni was a 1,000-point scorer through her junior year at Mercy before reclassifying and joining the reigning Class C champions. She landed two Division 1 offers from Central Connecticut State and Manhattan over the spring and summer, and I expect Benigni to make an instant impact in the rotation. She was one of the toughest competitors and loudest communicators I watched on the AAU circuit and at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase.
Benigni can run an offense and bend defenses as both a passer and driving scorer. Depending on how the new NEPSAC classifications shake out, Hamden Hall could be in a more competitive field, which should help Benigni and the time shine.
Javonah "Juice" Coston, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Dexter suddenly has gaping holes to fill in the backcourt after Izzy Adams reclassified and enrolled at Bryant and Kam Derba transferred to Tilton. Coston was a late addition — she suited up for her previous school, Beaver Country Day, at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase in June — but she addresses several needs immediately as a creator and off-ball scorer. Coston can shake defenders with her handle and knock down mid-range pull-ups comfortably. She was one of my 2027 standouts at the Scholastic Showcase and later landed her first Division 1 offer from UNH.
Coston is a different caliber of shifty athlete from anyone else Dexter had last season, and though she needs to learn how to more consistently play within an offense, she has chemistry with Ella Peper and Avery Bollin, whom she played with on the Bay State Jaguars. This might be one of the more underrated offseason additions.
SCHOLASTIC SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: 2026 girls | 2027 girls | 2028 and 2029 girls
Chloe Dix, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Dix could be the next NEPSAC one-year wonder, somewhat like Grace Minihane as a Northfield Mount Hermon postgrad transfer last winter. Dix just led her Manly Warringah youth club team to a Youth 1 women's grand final victory, where she was named MVP. She was also part of the semi-pro team that won the NBL 1 East championship. I got to watch Dix when she first suited up for New Hampton at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase, where she impressed me as a versatile, strong two-way wing. That's exactly what the Huskies need as their window opens to chase a Class AAA championship.
Class of 2027, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Bethel, Conn.
The Storm graduated one of New England's best lead creators in Cam Nelson (now at Syracuse) as well as a microwave secondary scorer in Emma Sollenne (now at Mercyhurst). Enter Foy, one of the best three-level threats in her class locally, as a transfer from Immaculate High. She leveraged a monster AAU spring and summer to land on our August 2027 watch list and rack up 10 Division 1 offers. Foy's combination of handle and shooting touch catch the eye first, but her physical strength is underrated, both via her finishing and on-ball defense. She'll be a go-to player at St. Luke's immediately and her development as a facilitator will help determine where this team goes.
(Editor's note: We had previously written that Foy had reclassified when transferring. That is not the case; she is a true junior in the 2027 class.)
Jacylah “LaLa” Goode, Loomis Chaffee
Class of 2027, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Derby, Conn.
One of my top preseason points of interest is Loomis Chaffee's gigantic re-tooling effort following its fourth consecutive Class A championship. The entire starting five (and more) graduated, which means almost ever minute is up for grabs. The Pelicans had a large roster last year and will likely turn the keys over to several younger players. I would also monitor Goode, though, one of the better forwards in the 2027 class and a transfer from Greens Farms. She's a strong lefty who excels on power drives to the basket and is smooth shooting 3s off the catch. There's still so much up in the air from my perspective on the Pelicans, but expect Goode to a major piece to the next chapter.
Jocelyn Gesner, Northfield Mount Hermon
Class of 2027, 6-3 forward
Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gesner (previously at Blair Academy) might be a lesser-known name on this list right now, but that could change quickly. We're talking about a 6-3 legitimate sharpshooter who moves well without the basketball and runs the floor hard. Gesner plays for Team Northeast on the AAU circuit and added offers from VCU, Colgate, Delaware, Mercyhurst, Cornell, Canisius and UNH. I'll be interested to see how NMH deploys Gesner and whether they keep her perimeter-oriented or try to use her size more in the paint. Either way, best to prepare for her early.
Morgan Jenkins, Newman
Class of 2026, 6-2 forward
Hometown: Higganum, Conn.
We've written plenty about Jenkins' growth into an inside-out threat as a post player and her collection of more than 30 Division 1 offers. Let's focus on the Newman fit here, where she'll immediately be the best frontcourt player on a second-year program with a first-year coach in Katie Kolinski. Jenkins and high-potential 2028 center Hillary Simo will be holding down the paint, and I wonder how often Kolinski will try to play the two together. Or, if Jenkins is more often the center, is this a team that can play five-out, or will her presence as an interior finisher and rebounder be more valuable? I'm most excited to see Jenkins battle against some of the elite bigs at the top levels of NEPSAC.
Izzy Kittredge, Nobles
Class of 2027, 6-1 forward
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Kittredge comes to Nobles with a boatload of winning experience, including two MIAA Div. 2 titles at Medfield. She's a prolific shooter and particularly lethal from the corners. With her length and size, Kittredge can be a real problem on defense, and as she gets stronger she'll become more threatening driving the ball herself. Nobles has playmakers to orchestrate the offense with Brynn Bryant and Alannah Morantus, so Kittredge is free to let 3s fly and racking up blocks and deflections.
Sophia Lee, Hoosac
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Ballston Spa, N.Y.
Lee should slot in seamlessly at Hoosac to fill the void of the graduated Carolina Williams (now at UNH). Though not quite as explosive as Williams, Lee brings similar toughness driving to the rim and defending, and she's a steady 3-point threat. Her pairing with 2027 star Anna Moser should be fun since both work well on and off the ball. Lee was a NEPSGBCA All-Star last winter at Storm King and should help Hoosac stay contending in the gauntlet that is Class AAA.
Alannah Morantus, Nobles
Class of 2028, 6-0 guard
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Morantus made our All-Class B First Team last year even when Cushing missed the playoffs because she averaged 18.6 points, eight rebounds and 4.9 assists per game as a true sophomore. She has since reclassified back a year, transferred to Nobles and continued to stand out for her age on the AAU circuit, including a Louisville offer in August. The Bulldogs need forceful, confident scorers after graduating their senior Big Three. Morantus is the ideal next building block as the program re-tools into its next era of contention.
Bella Owumi, Tilton
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard/forward
Hometown: Lynn, Mass.
We've covered Owumi, the No. 32 prospect in her class nationally, so much this summer. I want to start digging into her potential fit on the defending Class AAA champions. Tilton graduated a lot from last year's squad but returns its starting backcourt in Maddie McCaffery and Bela Cucuta. This could allow the Rams to take things slow with Owumi as a lead playmaker and start her more off the ball, where she is a phenomenal cutter. That being said, Tilton also let Owumi run a lot of offense at the Scholastic Showcase, and wings like Colleen Phiri (now at George Washington) have held meaningful playmaking roles before. Owumi will be at the top of every scouting report regardless.
Beyond Owumi, Tilton also boosted its backcourt depth, adding Owumi's St. Mary's teammate Lily Norton as well as former Dexter Southfield sharpshooter Kam Derba.
Sarah Poland, Rivers
Class of 2027, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
The Red Wings look significantly different, losing three Division 1 players and their anchor center Chase Anderson (now at Amherst) from last year's Class B title team. Who helps keep Rivers in contention? I like Poland, a steady, high-I.Q. forward. She's reclassifying and transferring from the MIAA after averaging 16.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals at Lincoln-Sudbury. Poland sees the floor at a high level, she can stretch the floor and she's physically strong enough to score through contact around the basket. She's not the flashiest player, but she can fill quite a few different roles, and I'm confident she'll find a way to impact winning quickly in NEPSAC.
Maeve Powers, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2028, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Quincy, Mass.
Along with Coston and some of Dexter's returners, Powers could jump right into meaningful backcourt action. She averaged 12.9 points in MIAA action as a sophomore, leading North Quincy to the Division 2 semifinals before reclassifying and transferring. Powers is a tough attacking guard who consistently pressures the rim — another unique twist for Dexter to add among its guards and wings. There's going to be quite a competition for minutes under new head coach Tammy Millsaps, but Powers should be able to carve out a role.
Molly Sisson, Northfield Mount Hermon
Class of 2026, 6-3 forward
Hometown: Rochester, Mass.
NCAA: Eastern Michigan
The only current Division 1 commit on this list, Sisson previously starred at St. Andrew's and will help fill the center void left by graduate Ava Hoy (now at La Salle). Sisson is a crafty post scorer who can also knock down mid-range jumpers, and her interior passing should open up options for the rest of a deep NMH squad. She'll be battling the likes of Fope Ayo, Caterina Ravosa, Daniella McLean and more in Class AA, and I cannot wait to see some of these center matchups.
Kailey Sullivan, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.
I've watched Sullivan light up the MIAA for years, where she won two state championships and amassed nearly 1,900 points with Foxboro. We don't see many MIAA-to-NEPSAC postgrad transfers — which might be why Sullivan is a bit under the radar — and it's an interesting test run for future athletes. She's a ridiculous perimeter scorer who is confident driving and getting to runners. Sullivan needs to add physical strength, which should also help her defense. If Sullivan can find a comfortable role next to some of New Hampton's elite guards like Elyse Ngenda, we could be talking about her as one of the sneaky-important wild cards in Class AAA.
Autumn Udoh, MacDuffie
Class of 2027, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Bristol, Conn.
MacDuffie has frankly been non-competitive for a while despite being in the highest classes of NEPSAC. With iBelieve Elite AAU coach Kahari Beaufort now the Mustangs' head coach, there appears to be a push for change. Udoh is an iBelieve player and the first major transfer addition coming from Briston Eastern. She's a fantastic defender with length and great instincts, traits that helped her land offers from Colgate and Central Connecticut State. Udoh can also drill mid-range shots off the catch and is working to expand out to 3-point range. There will be growing pains as Udoh and Beaufort lead an effort to build up the program, but I'd keep an eye on her development.
