STOUGHTON, Mass. — One of the most important weekends on the 2026 boys grassroots calendar is here.
The first live period of the spring comes this weekend from May 15-17, which allows Division 1 and 2 coaches to evaluate and recruit in-person for the first time this season. With how the recruiting calendar shaped up this year, this is the only live period during an AAU weekend until July. The next two live periods come in June, with both of those weekends coming during the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcases. So, this is a crucial weekend on the grassroots circuits.
Before teams fly out around the country for live periods on their respective circuits, the Hoop Group’s New England Jam Fest this past weekend served as a valuable local test run and recruiting opportunity. Some of the recognizable teams from around the region and beyond competed over two days at the Dana Barros Basketball Club, and there were still plenty of college coaches in the building. Dozens of Division 3 schools checked in for the action.
Here are 12 standouts from the 2027 class who shined this weekend.
Niklas Boateng & Ladainian Rodrigues, Team Sims 17U UA Rise
Boateng: 6-0 guard, Lexington Christian/Dracut, Mass.
Rodrigues: 6-4 guard, Suffield/Attleboro, Mass.
Team Sims was down at one point in the second half Saturday vs. New Haven Heat before storming a furious comeback in the matter of minutes to take the lead. Boateng and Rodrigues were crucial to the surge as they played a big part of the full-court press defense that generated turnovers and both converted with difficult finishes at the rim. Rodrigues, the former Attleboro standout who’s heading to Suffield for a postgraduate season, delivered back-to-back buckets on aggressive drives, including a three-point play, and Boateng put in the go-ahead bucket after several finishes through contact.
I also saw Rodrigues come in clutch for Team Sims in its Sunday 49-46 victory over Rens United HGSL, scoring five consecutive points – including a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minutes – that was the difference. He also had a strong contest that forced a miss on Rens’ game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Sam Brigham, SECC Allstars 17U HGSL
6-3 guard
Cushing/Springfield, Mass.
Brigham was a career 2,000-point scorer at Pope Francis and landed on our All-MIAA second team this season after leading the Cardinals to the Div. 2 Final Four. It was easy to see why, as he scored 24 points in SECC Allstars’ convincing win over New England Storm on Sunday. Brigham can score from all three levels; I saw him drill a really challenging shot where he made a left to right behind-the-back crossover into a fadeaway jumper, and he was comfortable making dribble pull-ups from the mid-range.
He got to the rim consistently, where he made a handful of difficult finishes with both hands. Despite a smaller frame, he consistently won physical battles in the paint and was smart in leveraging his body for scoring opportunities. I also saw him make a few perfect long passes in transition that led to scores, and he was impactful as a perimeter defender. That included one play late, with his team up convincingly, when he stripped an opponent for a steal at midcourt and then saved it while falling out of bounds by knocking it off him, which I thought spoke loudly to his competitiveness. I’m excited for his postgraduate year at Cushing.
Missoni Brown, New Haven Heat 17U MADE
6-1 guard
Windsor High School/Windsor, Conn.
One of the top football recruits in the region, Brown is a two-time CIAC basketball champion at Windsor High School who could be on a Div. 1 hoops path, too. He controlled the game with 22 points in New Haven’s thrilling overtime victory over Team Sims on Saturday. He has an elite feel for the game and one coach I was watching with described him as a “natural basketball player.”
Brown hit multiple impressive 3s that came off of pump fakes, dribble pull-ups or side steps. He made a ridiculous play at the first-half buzzer, grabbing a steal before releasing a nonchalant, one-legged 3-pointer that banked in as time expired. That wasn’t his only jaw-dropping moment; he made a no-look two-hand touch pass in transition, converted a ridiculous spin move and finish off glass and scored the first two buckets of overtime, including another elite sequence where he made an in-and-out dribble into a tight spin move before making a creative finish where he hung in the air and laid it off the glass.
Michael D’Ambra, Middlesex Magic 17U HGSL
6-4 guard
Bishop Hendricken/Warwick, R.I.
There’s a mature feel to D’Ambra’s game that I enjoyed watching in a Saturday morning win for the Magic’s HGSL squad. He hit a couple of early 3-pointers, and that helped him create some mid-range shots off of pump fakes and dribble pull-ups. He also made a sweet finish with his left hand and finished a wild back-and-forth sequence with an excellent backdoor pass to a teammate for a three-point play.
CJ Farrell, Middlesex Magic 17U HGSL
6-0 guard
St. Mark’s/Milford, Mass.
I thought Farrell was the most impactful player on the floor in the Magic’s Saturday win over House We Built with his blend of shooting and playmaking. He hit a couple of early triples, which I’ve come to expect from him, but I was more impressed with his facilitating ability, highlighted by a really tough finish over a bigger defender at the rim and several smart passes, including one drive and dish to a cutting teammate. After Keyshon Joyner departed this squad to join Team New England, Farrell has the ball in his hands more as a point guard and he’s thriving with the responsibility.
Ty Grudzien, Middlesex Magic 17U HGSL
6-0 guard
Marianapolis/Uncasville, Conn.
Grudzien is coming off a standout junior winter at Marianapolis, where he averaged 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. He flashed his two-way impact in the Magic’s win over House We Built. He’s a smart and technical player who can hit shots and adds to winning with his unselfishness and high IQ. I loved a give-and-go play he made for an easy score, I saw him make a sharp crossover to blow by a defender and he made a really difficult 3-pointer on the move and catch where he had to quickly turn and set his feet. He also doesn’t give up on the defensive end with a high motor, which included one tip steal from behind that led to a score.
DJ Hawkins, BABC 17U 3SSB
6-6 wing
St. Thomas More/Farmington, Conn.
BABC suffered a rare loss on Saturday morning vs. a strong Valente Rocks team, and it looked like Hawkins personally took it upon himself to right the ship a couple hours later in their second game of the day. He scored the game’s first seven points en route to a 34-point takeover in BABC’s win over HoopRoots HGSL. Our No. 6-ranked player in the 2027 class, Hawkins made at least four 3-pointers, but I loved the force and physicality he played with in getting to the rim, which included a loud one-handed dunk after he split two defenders from the 3-point line and needed just one dribble to get to the rack. Hawkins’ athleticism is off the charts. He looks ready for a big live period.
Samuel Owusu-Aduomi, BABC 17U 3SSB
6-5 wing
Tilton/Tenafly, N.J.
While Hawkins may have been the loudest performer in BABC’s win over HoopRoots, Owusu-Aduomi was filling up the box score with scoring, rebounding, facilitating and a strong defensive impact. He was consistently getting to the basket, drawing fouls and finishing plays through contact. He made at least two 3-pointers and I counted at least three offensive putbacks. He’s a dynamic ball-handler who puts constant pressure on the defense and he’s continuing to show high-level instincts, quick decision-making and a strong motor. After an injury-affected junior year at Tilton, Owusu-Aduomi is healthy and consistently performing well this spring.
Greyson Pierce, BABC 17U 3SSB
6-7 forward
St. Thomas More/West Hartford, Conn.
Pierce didn’t put up gaudy numbers in BABC’s win over HoopRoots, but I thought he still delivered an important impact and took advantage of his opportunities when he got them. He made three 3-pointers, including on one play where he grabbed his own miss, then relocated to the perimeter and knocked down an open shot. He also grabbed another rebound off his own missed 3 and made a difficult finish through traffic. Rebounding at a higher rate is an important piece of Pierce’s development and it looks like he’s buying in.
Jaden Schwenebraten, Team Northeast 17U UA Rise
6-3 guard
Salisbury/Scottsville, N.Y.
Schwenebraten took over in the second half of Team Northeast’s Sunday victory over BCRI, scoring 19 points over the final 16 minutes. It included five 3-pointers, with the barrage featuring a pair of treys in the span of 30 seconds that helped secure the win. He also made a nifty up-and-under reverse baseline layup and he was active on the glass and on the defensive end. Schwenebraten averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game at Salisbury this season; he’s a name to watch on Team Northeast’s strong 17U squad.
Sean Wilson, House We Built 17U HGSL
6-2 guard
Choate/Trumbull, Conn.
As House We Built’s lead ball-handler, Wilson impressed me throughout Saturday’s action with his ability to get to the rim, put constant pressure on the defense and draw fouls. He has a big, physical frame at 6-foot-1 and was a bowling ball in his rim attacks as he constantly overpowered smaller defenders, but he’s also shifty and creative. I saw him make a spin move for a three-point play and make athletic finishes through contact.
He also showed an ability to facilitate and find teammates out of those drives, which included one really impressive cross-court feed to a teammate for a 3-pointer. Wilson was a 1,000-point scorer and two-time FCIAC Player of the Year at Trumbull High School and announced last month that he’ll be heading to Choate for a postgraduate season.
