To round out our Best of New England prospect series, we're taking a first look at a promising 2029 class.
It's still very early to understand this class. I haven't seen any of the top AAU programs and their 15U rosters compete yet. But on the scholastic scene, against older peers, a select few freshmen made themselves known.
Instead of rankings, we're beginning with a watch list, sorted alphabetically. That keeps some of the pressure off of players instead of attaching their names to a number so early, and it allows us more flexibility as we learn more about the talent pool. You can read more about our methodology here.
Here are 15 prospects to watch as we start diving deeper into the 2029 class.
MORE RANKINGS: 2026 girls | 2027 girls | 2028 girls | 2026 boys | 2027 boys | 2028 boys
Avery Bollin
6-3 center
Dexter Southfield/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Raynham, Mass.
Bollin has played more high-level hoops by far than anyone else on this list, having logged major minutes at Dexter for the last two years. She's receiving national interest as a center who can score out of the post with floor-stretching potential. Bollin is also a mobile defender for her size.
Olivia Breen
6-2 forward
Oceanside/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: South Thomaston, Maine
With a 50-piece to her name already, Breen is quickly standing about as the next star from up north. She's the younger sister of Bailey Breen, who now plays Division 1 hoops at Maine.
Anabel Brooks
5-9 wing
Nobles/MCW Starz
Hometown: Marlboro, Mass.
Brooks is a strong, tough wing who can power through defenders around the basket and space the floor. She got her first Div. 1 offer from Robert Morris following last summer's NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase and played solid minutes off the bench at Nobles this winter.
Alana Brownstein
5-9 guard
Lawrence Academy/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
Brownstein's explosiveness helps her stand out on drives and on the boards. She was a key piece to Lawrence Academy's Class B Large semifinal run, averaging 11.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
Jaliah Duplessy
5-7 guard
Brimmer & May/Team Sims
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Duplessy is already difficult for opponents to stop on drives with her burst and ability to play through contact. She scores in bunches at the basket but also has developed a floater game and can hit 3s off the catch.
Jali Eason
5-9 guard
Governor's/New England Storm
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
A breakout player this year, Eason averaged 18 points and 4.4 rebounds at Gov's. She's impressed so far with her ease as a pull-up scorer who can also finish creatively around the rim.
Ashley Fontanella
5-4 guard
Ethel Walker/Mass Huskies
Hometown: Higganum, Conn.
Fontanella's speed, shooting and defensive effort helped her become a go-to guard on Ethel Walker. She averaged 12.9 points and 4.2 rebounds while hitting 39.5 percent of her 3s.
SySy Mcausland Emmanuel
5-9 guard
St. Mary's/MCW Starz
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.
St. Mary's reached the MIAA Div. 2 final with Emmanuel running the show as point guard. She's a crafty scorer who can create separation, and it feels like she's only scratched the surface of her athletic potential.
Lila McCarty
5-9 wing
Sharon/Shooting Touch
Hometown: Sharon, Mass.
McCarty was named a Hockomock League All-Star and led Sharon in scoring and rebounding. She's another one of a few versatile wings on this list — a capable long-range shooter, passer and solid defender.
Note: McCarty is staying in the 2029 class and transferring to Newman. This will be reflected in the next update.
Giuliana Shepard
5-8 guard
Tilton/MCW Starz
Hometown: Easton, Mass.
Shepard is strong for her age as a lead guard and a threat to score from the perimeter. She played limited minutes as a freshman at Tilton but will be a focal player on the AAU circuit and in future years.
Addy Sipkin
5-7 guard
Sacred Heart/Team Northeast
Hometown: Chappaqua, N.Y.
Sipkin plays much stronger than her listed height and can shrug off smaller defenders on drives to the basket. She sees the floor at a high level for her age and has some underrated moves as a perimeter scorer. Sipkin started at point guard for the NEPSAC Class A champs.
Avery Terry
5-11 wing
Acton-Boxboro/MCW Starz
Hometown: Acton, Mass.
The MIAA Dual County League Player of the Year, Terry has the size and length to be a versatile two-way wing, and she's a capable shooter off the catch. She's the younger sister of CATS boys standout Jaxson Terry.
Note: Terry is staying in the 2029 class and transferring to Tilton. This will be reflected in the next update.
Jen Xue
5-6 guard
Milton Academy/Shooting Touch
Hometown: Quincy, Mass.
Xue is a lights-out perimeter shooter with endless confidence, capable of stringing together multiple heat-check stretches in a game.
Zi'Yan Wallace
5-10 wing
Springfield Central/Springfield Ballers
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Power, a solid handle, 3-point shotmaking and underrated passing are all part of Wallace's bag. She led Springfield Central to the MIAA Div. 1 final and looks like one of the best wings in the class so far.
Zahara Wilson
5-9 guard
Minnechaug/The Court
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Wilson averaged 12.4 points on a Minnechaug team that made the MIAA Div. 2 semifinals. Most of her game looks smooth and easy right now. She has some bounce scoring around the rim, she canned 30 3-pointers this season, and she makes good decisions with the ball.
MORE NOTES:Â At the younger age groups, we often see more of a balance between players in NEPSAC vs. public schools since many have yet to transfer. I enjoy getting to look at both landscapes. Some other prep names I'm keeping an eye on are Olivia Macklin (Wilbraham & Monson) and Dalila Malz (Kingswood Oxford), while additional public school stars include Santanaa Hamelin (Westerly) and Kristin King (Cheverus).
