The grassroots season is over, and now prospects all over New England are sifting through new scholarship offers or phone calls from college head coaches.
The last month has been nonstop if you’re a boys basketball recruit in the region. The NEPSAC Scholastic Showcases came on back-to-back weekends to end June, and after a quick break for the Fourth of July, the AAU season concluded the last two weekends. Each of those weekends represented live periods with college head coaches in attendance – it’s arguably the most important period of the recruiting calendar.
We unveiled our 10 boys stock-risers for the first half of the grassroots season in late May, just after the first live period of the spring. Since then, a lot has happened – and this last month has shaped new recruiting trajectories for many prospects around the region. Now, with the season over, it’s time to uncover the biggest stock-risers of the second half.
This list will, of course, include the developments that came out of the NEPSAC Showcases; even though that’s not an AAU event, it was a critical recruiting marker, and many carried the momentum of strong June performances into the July live period. Here are 15 summer standouts who are on the rise after the last two months.
Desmond Bellot, Expressions Elite
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
CATS Academy/Boston, Mass.
I sensed some momentum turning for Bellot during a strong showing at the Babson NEPSAC Showcase – where he was running CATS’ offense with more confidence and assertiveness – and he helped himself even more on a national stage, where he helped Expressions Elite make a surprise run to the Peach Jam semifinals. His two-way performances caught attention.
He played a significant role in holding Oakland Soldiers star Jason Crowe, ESPN’s No. 4-ranked recruit and Nike leading scorer, to five points on 1-for-10 shooting in a game before Peach Jam before limiting him to a tough 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting in tournament play. Offensively, he averaged 12.7 points in seven Peach Jam games and finished fifth in EYBL play in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.7 percent. Bellot still feels a bit underrated, but he made a major winning impact at the highest grassroots level.
Quinn Costello, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-10 forward
Newman/Medford, Mass.
Costello made our first-half stock-risers list on May 23 after a strong start to the AAU season, but he had not earned a new offer at that stage of the spring. That’s funny to look back on now. He received an offer from Notre Dame just a few days later, and from there, he skyrocketed into arguably the biggest stock-riser in the country. He was invited to the NBPA Top 100 camp soon after, jumped into the Top 100 of every national rankings list – including No. 50 on ESPN – and all told, has received an absurd 25 new offers since May 27, all of them from high-major schools. Costello merged his elite 3-point shooting ability with a new level of competitiveness and physicality.
Q&A: Get to know Newman and Middlesex Magic star Quinn Costello
Theo Edema, Team New England
Class of 2027, 7-foot center
Cushing/Delta State, Nigeria
After a big sophomore season at Cushing, I anticipated a meteoric national rise for Edema – a unique 7-footer with elite rim protection, mobility and 3-point range – and that’s essentially what happened during the second half of the grassroots season. Offers from Kansas, Alabama, Villanova and Tennessee confirmed his high-major potential. He debuted in the national rankings and is now No. 54 on 24/7 Sports. As I wrote in my recruiting takeaways in mid-June, Edema added a few pounds of muscle this spring, and he’s hungry for more as his development continues.
Jake Freeman, BCRI
Class of 2026, 6-5 guard
Middlesex/Providence, R.I.
Freeman has burst on to the scene in the last month and it’s hard to argue with his consistent production. He made my NEPSAC Showcase “5 Stars” after two strong weekends at Babson and Avon Old Farms, including scoring 29.5 points per game at Avon, and didn’t slow down during the live period, which included a 31-point (eight 3-pointers) performance during the second weekend. He’s a sniper from outside who can get into the lane and make plays inside, too. He earned two Division 2 offers over the last month from Rollins College and Pitt-Johnstown.
Chase Geremia, BABC
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Newman/Madison, Conn.
Geremia has already cemented himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in New England, and now he has a national case after shooting 46.8 percent from deep this spring on the Adidas circuit. But it’s the other ways he affected games that were just as noticeable. On a small BABC team, the 6-foot-2 guard corralled 4.7 rebounds per game, regularly sneaking in for offensive rebounds, and he was a pest defensively, too, grabbing more than a steal per game. On a star-driven team, he knew his role and let the game come to him. He’s earned nine more offers since mid-May, most recently UMass and Iona after strong NEPSAC and AAU periods over the last month.
AAU RECAP: Takeaways from the July live period
Cam Hailey, Expressions Elite
Class of 2026, 5-11 guard
Worcester Academy/Dorchester, Mass.
Hailey was undoubtedly New England’s biggest winner of the final July live period after a brilliant performance at Peach Jam as he led Expressions on their Cinderella run to the semifinals. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.0 assists per game, including a 21-point, six-assist effort in a pool play win over Team Thad. Even at 5-foot-11, Hailey was effective against some of the best players in the country, getting into the lane and scoring and facilitating through traffic on a consistent basis as he showed his skills as a pure point guard. Hailey may have shocked some coaches with his play; he’s announced five offers since the weekend, including Arizona State, and more are interested. After Amir Jenkins suddenly departed for West Virginia, it will be Hailey’s show at Worcester Academy this winter and he looks more than ready for it.
Rowan Introzzi, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-5 forward
Greenwich Country Day/Eastchester, N.Y.
Introzzi caught my eye at early May’s New England Jam Fest and he ultimately was a crucial piece of the Magic’s run to another Hoop Group Showcase League championship game, which included a 27-point, eight-rebound, five-assist performance in Atlantic City. The physical forward is mature and strong inside but can also step outside to hit from 3 or take defenders off the dribble. He reminds Magic coach Lambros Papalambros of a more athletic Kevin Love or Charles Barkley. He’s still growing his game and is an underrated gem in the region.
Ryan Moesch, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Cushing/Chittenango, N.Y.
Moesch is obviously an established name in this region, but it’s certainly worth noting that he hit the next level of his recruitment during the July live period. He’s grabbed six new offers since July 14 alone, including a big one: his first high-major offer from Providence. He went and backed it up, too, as he led the Magic to the semifinals and a third-place finish in the Under Armour Finals. His run included a 24-point, eight-assist masterclass in which he drilled six 3-pointers. Don’t be surprised if more high-majors come calling.
THE SAVANT: Inside Ryan Moesch's rise as one of New England's most exciting talents
Lucas Morillo, City Rocks
Class of 2026, 6-7 guard
Newman/Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Morillo does not play for a New England club team, but an exception will be made here for arguably NEPSAC’s best player. Our reigning Class AAA Player of the Year was second in the Nike circuit this spring with eight double-doubles and was one of the best players at Peach Jam as he averaged 17.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. His scholarship list continues to be full of high-majors, too, with nine new offers since the start of June, including Virginia, Villanova and Texas. Morillo, now ranked No. 76 on ESPN’s Top 100, has only reaffirmed himself over this spring.
Antonio Pemberton, Mass Rivals
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
Brewster Academy/Lawrence, Mass.
There isn’t a better scoring guard in New England right now than Pemberton. The 6-foot-1 guard proved it at the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships as the weekend’s second leading scorer at 26.8 points per game – while playing a year up on the 17U level for a third straight season – before going off for 39 points and eight 3-pointers during the second July live weekend.
He can do it all scoring the ball, and despite his height and size, gets to his spots and rises up over defenders like no one else. It’s been consistent all spring and colleges are clearly taking notice; Georgetown, Boston College, Utah and Marquette have all offered him a place in their program.
Q&A: Antonio Pemberton on his electric live period, meeting SGA and more
Merrick Smith, New England Storm
Class of 2026, 6-10 forward
Kimball Union/Belgrade, Maine
After missing a chunk of the spring recovering from a broken elbow, Smith has been on a tear over the last month. It started with dominant performances with Kimball Union at the NEPSAC Showcases and it carried into July with the New England Storm. The big man is proving that he can do a little bit of everything as a long, active and physical two-way threat who is dominant at protecting the rim and crashing the glass. He’s earned three offers over the last month – Stonehill, Maine and American – and he’s creating significant momentum into next season.
Derek Swartz, Mass Rivals
Class of 2028, 6-5 guard
Portsmouth High School/Portsmouth, N.H.
The only 2028 recruit on this list, Swartz turned a corner over the two July live weekends, especially at the Adidas Palmetto Road Championships, with his elite scoring ability. He averaged 19.2 points as he led Mass Rivals’ 16U team to the round of 16, and added a 32-point clinic later in the weekend. He can score at all three levels, and he’s shifty and quick at his size to get inside and attack different areas of the defense effectively. He has a game that’s mature beyond his years, and he’s already establishing himself as a national name to know after earning offers from Georgetown and Oklahoma State. The buzz is only beginning for Swartz.
FAB FIVE: Meet the next wave of boys basketball stars from New Hampshire
Ty Tabales, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2025, 6-2 guard
New Hampton/Worcester, Mass.
NCAA: Bryant
There’s an argument to be made that Tabales was New England’s biggest stock-riser over the last month because it culminated in him earning an early commitment and reclassifying to the 2025 class. Tabales is suddenly heading to Bryant this fall after he took his game to the next level at the NEPSAC Showcases and then the July live period.
He was dominant as New Hampton’s new lead guard in June, and it was hard to describe the high level of confidence he was playing with that was noticeable in the shots he was taking and consistently making. He grabbed nine new offers since June 21, but chose an opportunity to head to college early at Bryant, which was his first offer back in 2023. He should make an immediate impact there.
Adama Tambedou, Rhode Island Elite
Class of 2026, 6-8 forward
Putnam Science/Senegal, Africa
Tambedou made our first stock-risers list in May and he’s stayed consistent since. With a college-ready body, his athleticism, motor and physicality around the rim impacts the game in so many ways. He had standout performances for Putnam Science at the NEPSAC Showcase at Babson, including a huge game in a win over Brewster, and he was a walking double-double all spring on the Puma circuit. He added Maryland and Iowa State to his growing list of high-major offers.
Jaylin Williams-Crawford, Expressions Elite
Class of 2026, 6-7 forward
CATS Academy/Boston, Mass.
Williams-Crawford has a reputation as one of the best defenders in New England, but now he deserves national respect. The long forward faced expectedly difficult matchups all week at each of the two final Nike sessions but passed with flying colors. As the primary defender, he held JL3 Elite’s Elijah Williams, ranked No. 21 by ESPN and committed to Baylor, to nine points on 2-for-12 shooting. Pro Skills’ Bryson Howard, ranked No. 28 by ESPN, suffered a similar fate, scoring seven points on 2-for-10 shooting. Oakland Soldiers’ Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the country, scored 20 points but needed 15 shots to get there.
It was Williams-Crawford, with his quickness and length, mostly responsible as he set the tone for Expressions with his hustle and motor. Offensively, he was effective, too, scoring in double figures in six of seven Peach Jam games, including a 17-point effort as he was opportunistic and made the right plays. Few players helped their stock more at Peach Jam than Williams-Crawford.
