FOXBORO, Mass. — The next wave of elite girls talent in New England is coming, and we got a great look during last Friday's NERR Frosh/Soph Showcase.
Close to 100 players descended on Mass Premier to compete in the first such event on the girls side for NERR. For a first-time showcase, this was a great group of participants, including some names circling my 2028 watch list and 2029s on my radar. Several prep school coaches made the trip to watch some of their players and get a head start on recruiting the future. But I attended because I wanted to dive deeper into these younger classes, and they delivered. Some of the true standout performers were names I had never heard before.
How do I evaluate younger talent? At an event like this, which featured two scrimmages per team and 12 total teams, I'm looking for flashes of standout athletic tools and outlier traits. I was truly impressed by the overall skill level — and particularly shooting ability — from most of the young stars. There is so much time for these players to develop that it's more about visualization. What do I think they could be capable of down the road?
Here are 10 early high-schoolers and some middle school standouts who popped when I watched. With three games happening at once, it was hard to see everything. One other thing to note: I've included heights where listed online, but I honestly believe most of these players are taller than last measured and definitely growing fast.
