SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — On Saturday morning, I trudged through the snow and pulled into the parking lot at the Route 66 Diner in Springfield, grabbing some breakfast before heading to American International College for the day’s games at the Hoophall Prep Showcase, and found a funny scene.
Outside the diner, a group of basketball players from the same team – all dressed in their warmup gear – were filming themselves doing TikTok dances in the snow. I could only assume this team wasn’t from New England and have rarely, if ever, seen snow. Because moments later, the team engaged in a full-fledged snowball fight. They ran wildly around the parking lot, even using my car as a shield. I sat safely in my car, watching, chuckling to myself and waiting for the snowball fight to conclude before going into the diner to get some food.
The innocent moment was a brief reminder of both how special Hoophall weekend is for so many teams across the country, and for all the pressure that weekends like this represent – with college coaches flying in and recruitment futures hanging in the balance – that these are all teenage kids who are having fun and soaking in the cool experiences they get to take part in.
I spent the weekend at the Hoophall Prep Showcase – the annual sister event to the Hoophall Classic that features the best prep and postgraduate teams from New England and beyond, held by New England Recruiting Report – and watched more than snowball fights. Across two courts inside American International College’s gym, recruits played for their teams and their futures. There was a lot to sift through, so I’m splitting my standouts between the backcourt and frontcourt. Here are 11 guards that shined in Springfield. This list includes six players uncommitted in the 2026 class.
