Since our launch of New England Basketball Journal in 2024, we've watched the 2028 class grow up.
This class, mostly — save for instances of reclassifications — was entering their freshman seasons in 2024. It will ultimately be the first class in which we will see their full high school cycle. Now, they're entering upperclassman status. And for the first time, it's time to rank them.
New England's rising juniors are impressive. Many have already made significant impacts already as underclassmen, and some are already generating national recruiting momentum. It's going to be very exciting to track this group this winter. Many will assume even greater responsibilities on their high school and prep teams as they continue their development tracks. That means that these rankings will eventually see significant changes as we track their improvements, production and college interest. But we have a good baseline to start with.
Like we explained in our 2027 rankings, these rankings aim to project college impact. Of course, this class is still two years away from entering college, so these projections will change. We've made our own evaluations and are constantly learning about what colleges value at the next level. Outlier traits, unique skillsets, consistent production, leadership traits and winning intangibles all part of the calculus.
An important note: To be eligible for our Best of New England rankings, a prospect must be a native of the region or must have completed at least one scholastic season at a school based in the region. That means that non-New Englanders at New York-based NEPSAC schools are ineligible. It also means that out-of-region newcomers to prep schools, even if they debuted at June’s Scholastic Showcases, are not eligible yet.
Here's our first rankings for New England's boys Class of 2028.
