Playing Division 1 basketball is the dream of hundreds of recruits throughout New England. Fortunately for them, they also have many inspirations to look up to.
The 2025-26 college basketball season has been shaped significantly by New England and NEPSAC products. There are several leading ranked programs, transfers who have found comfort in their new home, and there are a significant number of freshmen who have made an instant impact at the next level.
Among the 18 players listed on this list, eight are freshmen. That’s a nod to the overflowing talent that’s coming from New England, but also to the prep schools and AAU teams that have helped them become college-ready. The current landscape can be attributed to that, too. Due to the transfer portal trickle-down effect, there are many freshmen who are playing at a level they might be better than.
The Division 1 season is about halfway complete, with the NCAA Tournament looming in about two months. Here are 18 players from New England and NEPSAC who have shined this winter on college hoops’ biggest stage.
Xavier Abreu, Northeastern
Freshman, 6-3 guard
Phillips Andover/Lynn, Mass.
The two-time All-NEPSAC Class A selection has translated his scoring talents immediately to college, where he’s averaging 11.3 points per game as a rotation piece for the Huskies. He scored 32 points in a Nov. 22 win over Duquesne – which helped him earn CAA Player of the Week – and he’s scored in double figures five other times this season, including a 22-point effort in Thursday's win over Elon.
Andrew Alekseyenko, Colgate
Freshman, 6-8 forward
Rivers/Brookline, Mass.
The former Rivers star carved out a starting role to begin the season; he impressed with a 14-point, five-rebound game in a season-opening loss to Michigan State and hasn’t looked back. He’s averaging 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, including a 25-point game in a loss to St. Bonaventure on Dec. 10 and a 16-point, 15-rebound, five-assist effort in Wednesday’s victory over Loyola Maryland. He’s been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week four times.
Solo Ball, UConn
Junior, 6-4 guard
Brewster Academy/Leesburg, Va.
For a second consecutive season, Ball has been an important starter for the fourth-ranked Huskies, which have just one loss. He’s averaging 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, including a 26-point effort in a win over Butler on Dec. 16.
Brandon Benjamin, Fairfield
Freshman, 6-8 forward
St. Thomas More/Newark, N.J.
Benjamin was a double-double machine for St. Thomas More last season, helping the Chancellors reach the national prep championship game with averages of 16.3 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. He’s picking up where he left off in his first year of college, averaging 14.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game for Fairfield, which has included eight double-doubles. He had an 18-point, 10-rebound performance in his college debut, and he’s averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds over his last eight games. He’s been named the MAAC Rookie of the Week four times.
C.J. Cox, Purdue
Sophomore, 6-3 guard
Milton Academy/Lexington, Mass.
Cox emerged as a freshman starter last season as he helped Purdue reach the Sweet 16, and he’s continued to be a crucial member for the fifth-ranked Boilermakers this season. His impact isn’t always measured in statistics, but he’s averaging 8.8 points per game, including 11.3 over his last six games, all victories.
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Freshman, 6-9 wing
Utah Prep/Brockton, Mass.
The No. 1-ranked recruit from the 2025 class has lived up to his reputation. Dybantsa is the third-leading scorer in the country at 23.1 points per game to go along with 7.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for the 11th-ranked Cougars, who are 16-1 as Big 12 play begins. Dybantsa became the youngest player in NCAA history to record a 30-point triple-double, when he went for 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a Dec. 22 win over Eastern Washington. BYU's lone loss came on Nov. 15 to UConn, when Dybantsa returned home to play at TD Garden; he scored 25 points and nearly led an incredible comeback with his family watching courtside. His playmaking and facilitating as a point forward has taken a big leap under BYU coach Kevin Young, and it’s a big reason why he’s a favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Preston Edmead, Hofstra
Freshman, 6-1 guard
Williston Northampton/Deer Park, N.Y.
Our Class A Player of the Year last winter after leading Williston Northampton to the NEPSAC championship, Edmead has been an instant impact starter at Hofstra, where he’s averaging 15.0 points and 4.2 assists for the 14-3 Pride. Edmead has been named the CAA Rookie of the Week five times already, which made him the 15th player in the league’s history to win the award that many times.
Alex Karaban, UConn
Senior, 6-8 forward
New Hampton/Southborough, Mass.
One of the most decorated players in recent UConn history, the two-time national champion is averaging 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the third-ranked Huskies. He was named the Big East Player of the Week on Nov. 17 after his 21-point performance led UConn to a win over BYU in his homecoming game at TD Garden. Karaban is shooting 43.9 percent from 3-point range this season, which is a career high.
Amir Lindsey, Albany
Sophomore, 5-11 guard
Rivers/Framingham, Mass.
Lindsey has been one of the most improved players in the country, increasing his points per game from 6.0 as a freshman to 17.4 as a sophomore. He’s also averaging 4.7 assists as a starter for the Great Danes. Lindsey has six games of 20 or more points, including a 24-point, six-assist performance in a Dec. 17 victory over Stony Brook, and a 23-point, seven-assist effort in Thursday's win over Binghamton. He’s the second-leading scorer in America East.
Nasir Meyer, Wyoming
Freshman, 6-7 wing
New Hampton/Los Angeles, Calif.
I had a feeling that Meyer – who landed on our NEPSAC Class AAA first team last season – was good enough to play at a higher level than Wyoming. He’s been terrific as a freshman, averaging 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from deep for the 11-6 Cowboys. He’s been named the Mountain West’s Rookie of the Week three times and scored a career-high 27 points in a loss to Nevada on Jan. 10.
Andre Mills, Maryland
Sophomore, 6-4 guard
Brimmer & May/Boston, Mass.
After redshirting the 2024-25 season at Texas A&M, Mills followed coach Buzz Williams to Maryland and has become an impact starter for the Terrapins. He’s averaging 8.3 points per game – which includes eight games in double figures – to go along with 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and versatile defense.
Trevor Mullin, Yale
Junior, 6-1 guard
St. Sebastian’s/Wellesley, Mass.
The 2023 NEPSAC Class A Player of the Year, two-time ISL MVP and 2,000-point scorer has started all 15 games for Yale, which is 12-3 and sits third in the Ivy league. He’s averaging 9.9 points and 3.1 assists per game for the Bulldogs, which included a career-high 22-point performance in a victory over Illinois-Chicago on Dec. 7.
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
Freshman, 6-2 guard
Brewster Academy/Nashua, N.H.
When I made a preseason visit to Stanford for an interview with Okorie, coach Kyle Smith told me that he believed his freshman would be an impact player who had a chance to start and play around 20 minutes per game. Okorie has shattered even those lofty expectations. As of Friday, Okorie ranked fifth in the country in scoring at 22.9 points per game. He’s not only one of the country’s best freshmen; he’s one of college basketball’s best players, period.
Okorie has scored 30 or more points in four of his last seven games. In a Jan. 7 win over Virginia Tech, Okorie scored 11 of his 31 points in the final 2:18, including a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer with three seconds remaining to finish Stanford’s double-digit comeback. He scored a career-high 36 points – setting a new Stanford freshman single-game scoring record – with nine assists on Wednesday to lead Stanford past No. 14 North Carolina. The Cardinal haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2014 but look like they have a legitimate chance to break that drought behind Okorie’s breakout campaign.
TJ Power, Penn
Junior, 6-9 forward
Worcester Academy/Shrewsbury, Mass.
The third time has been the charm for Power, who’s at his third school in three years after spending his first two seasons at Duke and Virginia. The former four-star recruit is averaging 14.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Quakers. That included a career high 29-point performance in a 73-71 win over La Salle on Nov. 29.
Chase Ross, Marquette
Senior, 6-5 guard
Cushing/Dallas, Texas
In his fourth season at Marquette, Ross has emerged into the Golden Eagles’ leading scorer, averaging 15.8 points per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game alongside fellow former NEPSAC star Nigel James. Ross went for 31 points in a Nov. 15 loss to Maryland.
Darin Smith, Jr., Central Connecticut State
Sophomore, 6-7 forward
Vermont Academy/Springfield, Mass.
After coming off the bench as a freshman, Smith Jr. has vaulted into a starting role as a star for the Blue Devils this season. The former Vermont Academy standout leads the Northeast Conference in scoring at 20.3 points per game, which ranks 29th in the country, including a career-high 38-point performance in a Nov. 24 overtime win over Sacred Heart. He's been named the NEC Player of the Week three times.
Nick Townsend, Yale
Senior, 6-7 forward
Hotchkiss/ Chappaqua, N.Y.
A first-team All-Ivy selection last season, Townsend is averaging 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game – all numbers that lead Yale. His highlights include a 32-point, nine-rebound performance in a 74-63 victory over the College of Charleston and a 21-point, 10-assist effort in a win over Akron.
Alex Wilkins, Furman
Freshman, 6-5 guard
Brooks/Mattapan, Mass.
When Wilkins committed to Furman in Sept. 2024, he cited playing time as a freshman and player development among the reasons why he chose to join the Palladins. Both have proven true en route to a remarkable freshman campaign. Last season’s NEPSAC Class B Player of the Year, Wilkins leads Furman with 17.5 points and 5.1 assists per game as he’s emerged as one of the most impactful freshmen in the country. He posted a career-high 28 points with five assists in Wednesday’s win over Samford, and he has eight games of 20 or more points.
