FITCHBURG, Mass. — July is the biggest month of the travel basketball season, with circuit championships and “live” scouting periods for college coaches highlighting the apex of the recruiting calendar.
The Hoop Group New England Jamfest, held in Fitchburg from June 29-30, represented the final local stop for several AAU teams and a tune-up before they hit the road to national showcases. This tournament was not open to Division 1 colleges, but coaches at the Div. 2 and Div. 3 levels could attend, and many did.
For a smaller showcase, New England Jamfest brought a strong group of teams, particularly in the 17u Platinum Division. Connecticut-based program iBelieve Elite captured the 17u Platinum championship with a 59-45 win against NY Extreme.
I watched five 17u Platinum games on Sunday: the two semifinal matchups, the championship, and two additional consolation matchups. Here’s who stood out during the competition.
Bela Cucuta
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
Tilton/iBelieve Elite
Cucuta got cut on her chin during iBelieve’s semifinal game, but that didn’t stop her from making an impact in the championship victory. Bandaged up, she looked at ease seeking out her own shot and attacking lapses in the opposing defense. Cucuta drilled pull-up and sidestep threes as well as catch-and-shoot attempts from the wing and the corner. She was decisive attacking driving lanes and finished layups through contact multiple times. It was a poised performance that highlighted Cucuta’s knack for creating the right shot for herself.
Selah Prignano
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard
Wilbraham and Monson/iBelieve Elite
Prignano’s stellar summer continues. Her energy on the glass and in transition helped iBelieve pull away as the championship game progressed. At one point, she dished out three consecutive fast-break assists — each one a different type of read — that helped her team push the lead to double digits. Prignano also showed creativity using and rejecting ball screens, an observation I’ve made before that I’ve really come to appreciate in her game. That smart thinking, plus her natural quick burst, makes Prignano tough to contain off the dribble.
Kaitlyn Raguso
Class of 2025, 5-8 guard
Hendrick Hudson (N.Y.)/NY Extreme
I’ll leave New England briefly to spotlight Raguso, who sparked NY Extreme to the final. Her relentless energy manifested in rebounds, including one where she put back her own missed three-pointer for a layup. She was a constant threat to score either from cutting or spacing the floor. Raguso didn’t run the offense, but she made some quick connective passes that also led to assists. Her general court awareness with and without the ball kept her heavily involved in the contest.
Nora Simpson
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Arlington Catholic (Mass.)/Mass Huskies
The Huskies’ 2026 EYCL team had a comeback attempt fall short in the semifinals against NY Extreme. I thought Simpson put in great effort defending some talented opposing guards. She can flip her body quickly to stay attached when ball-handlers change direction, helping her apply some aggressive point-of-attack defense. She also picked up a block recovering back to a driving player. Simpson hadn’t been on my radar before this showcase, but her quick feet and high motor are valuable traits.
Reagan Dowd
Class of 2025, 5-8 guard
Norwell (Mass.)/MT Ducks Elite
Dowd’s signature skill is her jump shot, but she impacted the game in a few other ways during an eventual semifinal defeat. She made smart passes in transition and had a nice half-court assist to Jess LaFlamme in the pick-and-roll. On defense, she denied one post entry pass to pick up a steal and later forced a jump ball on a tie-up. Dowd is a combo guard, but her strong frame allows her to defend larger guards and wings, making her a malleable lineup piece.
Kate Allard
Class of 2025, 6-2 forward
Bedford (N.H.)/New England Crusaders
Allard’s versatility was on full display against a smaller Boston Showstoppers team in the consolation bracket. Among the ways she scored: a layup following a face cut, a layup cutting out of a designed sideline out-of-bounds play, a layup rolling out of a ball screen, a putback following an offensive rebound, and a pick-and-pop three out of a HORNS set. Whew.
The Crusaders put Allard in all sorts of different actions, and she thrived. On one play where she got the ball in the low post, Allard recognized where the defense brought a second defender and made the right kick-out pass to Meghan Husson (who I also thought played very well) for three. Finally, Allard logged a few massive swats protecting the paint. You want to see Division 1 prospects dominate at these showcases — she did.
Alaysia Drummonds
Class of 2027, 5-7 guard
Foxboro (Mass.)/Boston Showstoppers
The Showstoppers had a couple of players pop at different times Sunday, but Drummonds impressed me the most with her combination of tough shotmaking and court vision. She made one transition pass through two defenders that I thought was a guaranteed turnover until it lander perfectly with her teammate for a layup.
Drummonds also moved the ball well in the half-court and fought through contact to score in the mid-range and at the rim. Her confidence as a playmaker is clearly growing. It bodes well for her ascension into an impact player for Foxboro next season.
Charlotte Adams-Lopez
Class of 2025, 5-8 guard
Bishop Feehan (Mass.)/Honey Badgers
The Honey Badgers rolled through their consolation matchup and full-court pressure broke the game open. Adams-Lopez helped lead the charge and forced several turnovers with her aggressiveness and active hands. She’s one of the better passing guards in the region, and showed that off again by looking off the defense and rifling a pass inside to Jaylene Pires for an easy layup. Adams-Lopez’s highlight play might have been when she chased down an opponent in transition, poked a way a steal, and took the ball the length of the floor herself to score.
