NEPSAC Class AAA is widely recognized as the best of the best for individual talent in New England.
The depth of star power on all eight teams is remarkable, and it made a 10-player preseason watch list extremely difficult.
Consider this a peek at initial contenders for our postseason Player of the Year award. As we transition from AAU and recruiting talk to school ball, it's also important to note that these watch lists will look different from our college prospect watch lists — because the best high school players and best college prospects don't always overlap. With these preseason Player of the Year watch lists, we're looking for who could have the most productive winning impact over the next four months.
Here are the 10 names to know entering the winter season.
SETTING THE STAGE:Â Here's our preseason NEPSAC Girls Top 10
Brynn Bryant, Nobles
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
One of NEPSAC’s elite guard defenders, Bryant will ascend to a leading role as a playmaking guard this season on a young Nobles team. She’s already impressed in the June NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase and fall open gyms with her quickness off the dribble and her 3-point shooting. Bryant is a senior on a young Bulldogs roster and will be looked to for both her leadership and reliable impact.
Bela Cucuta, Tilton
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Newington, Conn.
NCAA: George Washington
Cucuta averaged a team-high 18.1 points, plus 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists, during Tilton’s championship season. She’s a long-range sharpshooter (38.1 percent on 3s) who continues to improve as a playmaker. Next to point guard Maddie McCaffery, Cucuta should thrive in a scoring role with even more importance after the top-ranked Rams graduating several other leading scorers from last winter.
Molly Corcoran, Tabor
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Medford, Mass.
NCAA: Colgate
Corcoran ran the point for the Seawolves last season but figures to factor in more heavily this winter with a new head coach and shifting roster makeup. She can heat up quickly from behind the arc, push the pace in the open floor and bring high-level court vision. Tabor expects to play fast and move the ball a lot, which plays right into Corcoran's style.
Morgan Jenkins, Newman
Class of 2026, 6-2 center
Hometown: Higganum, Conn.
NCAA: Xavier
An automatic double-double at Hotchkiss (20.1 points, 13.7 rebounds), Jenkins transfers to Newman and immediately becomes the go-to presence in the frontcourt. She’s a fundamentally-sound post player who has developed into a true inside-out scorer. Jenkins will ease Newman’s move up to Class AAA.
Update: Jenkins will miss the rest of the winter season due to surgery for an undisclosed injury following the NMH Tip-Off Classic. To keep consistency with our original watch list, we still want to acknowledge her here.
Serenity Lancaster, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 6-3 forward
Hometown: New London, Conn.
NCAA: St. John’s
Lancaster captured our AAA Defensive Player of the Year award last winter. Her 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks per game signaled immediate impact as a transfer, and Lancaster still has plenty of room to grow in Year 2. Expect her to show more off the dribble and on the perimeter, where she can handle the ball well for her size.
Alannah Morantus, Nobles
Class of 2028, 6-0 guard
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Morantus transfers to Nobles after earning an All-Class B First Team nod at Cushing. She’s one of the region’s top 2028 prospects, a powerful guard who’s tough to stop on drives around the basket. Morantus represents the high ceiling of Nobles’ young roster; she has a high-major offer from Louisville headlining her Division 1 interest.
Anna Moser, Hoosac
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Rutland, Vt.
You may not find a more entertaining scorer in NEPSAC. Moser lights up the 3-point arc and flies around the floor without the ball. She’s also an explosive scorer off the dribble when she can get to her runners. She’ll be the lead playmaker on a dark-horse Hoosac team after posting 16 points per game with a 40 percent 3-point clip last winter, landing on our All-AAA Second Team.
Elyse Ngenda, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
NCAA: Stanford
Ngenda is many coaches’ pick for the top player in NEPSAC. Her basketball I.Q., polished scoring and overall leadership helped her earn No. 95 in ESPN’s national rankings. Ngenda put up 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game last season.
CHOOSING THE CARDINAL:Â Ngenda discusses her college decision
Bella Owumi, Tilton
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard/forward
Hometown: Lynn, Mass.
There’s a timeline where Owumi shows she’s NEPSAC’s best player in just her first season. The 30th-ranked 2027 prospect by ESPN, Owumi transfers in after winning three state titles (and our MIAA Defensive Player of the Year award) at St. Mary’s. She’s a ridiculous athlete with special defensive instincts and a rapidly-growing offensive game.
Ella Peper, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2028, 6-4 guard/forward
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
Peper is among the most highly-touted New England prospects in recent memory. Now ranked fourth nationally in her class, she’s lined up for a sophomore leap after flooring spectators on the AAU circuit. Peper’s smooth shooting at her size, plus her length and movement skills on defense, make her unique.
Five more names to know: Chloe Dix (New Hampton), Brooke Golden (Tilton), Izzy Kittredge (Nobles), Zoe Knight (St. Andrew’s), Corinne Lomax (Tabor)
