Incoming NEPSAC transfers can shake up the prep school hierarchy.
Just look at last season. Hoosac's Class AAA title team was boosted by postgrads Tanavia Turpin, A'Briyah Cunningham and more. Brooke Lilley and Dior Dobere helped Darrow roll to a AA championship. Lana Orietas was a difference-maker in Class B for Berkshire. All were new to NEPSAC last season.
With the NEPSAC Girls Scholastic Showcase tipping off at Worcester Academy next week, we're highlighting more of the new prep names to know. They range from well-known local stars at their previous high schools to touted prospects from outside New England.
Here are 10 forwards (broadly, including wings, forwards and centers) to watch as potential impact transfers.
MORE NEPSAC COVERAGE:Â 12 transfer guards | NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase schedule
Ella Allard, St. Paul's
Class of 2028, 5-10 wing
Hometown: Bedford, Mass.
It's been a long time since we've seen Allard in a scholastic setting; she missed last season with an ACL injury and is now reclassifying and transferring. But Allard is cleared and has been ramping back up during the grassroots season. The younger sister of former Bedford star and Boston University rising sophomore Kate Allard, Ella Allard was an impact rotation player through her first two years on the back-to-back NHIAA Div. 1 champions.
A'laya Colbert, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2028, 6-0 center
Hometown: Quincy, Mass.
I've been a fan of Colbert's game over her two years at North Quincy. Originally from Atlanta, Colbert has excellent movement skills for a center and was a defensive anchor in the MIAA on a Division 2 contender. She also has solid touch scoring around the basket and was one of the more underrated college prospects in public school. I imagine Colbert will help fill the void at Dexter left by graduate Brooke Nunnally-Gardner, who is off to Cornell.
Akarri Gaddy, Hoosac
Class of 2027, 6-1 forward
Hometown: Albany, N.Y.
Gaddy, per her MaxPreps profile from last year, averaged 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals as a senior at Albany High, where she shined as a high-motor forward who can finish through contact. I could see Hoosac envisioning her as a replacement of sorts for graduated Tanavia Turpin, now at New Haven. Turpin was similarly unheralded but a breakout contributor as a postgrad on last year's Class AAA title team.
Mila Harmon, Kent
Class of 2028, 6-0 center
Hometown: Trumbull, Conn.
Harmon transfers to Kent and reclassifies after aiding Sacred Heart Academy as one of the top programs in the CIAC. She's a strong, powerful post player with solid footwork around the basket and a motor for rebounding. Harmon has a recent Div. 1 offer from Central Connecticut.
Reese Jeamel, MacDuffie
Class of 2029, 6-1 wing
Hometown: Coventry, Conn.
In the span of three months, Jeamel has exploded from a well-regarded name in Connecticut to one of New England's most-hyped 2029 prospects. She's got buzz and a swarm of high-major offers because of her speed, length and pull-up scoring potential at 6-foot-1. Jeamel helped Coventry win the CIAC Division III championship last winter.
Khalia Lewis, Newman
Class of 2027, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Newfield, N.J.
NCAA: Navy
I know Newman head coach Katie Kolinski is hyped about Lewis, who is already on a Div. 1 track. Lewis averaged 20.6 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.0 steals in New Jersey at Our Lady of Mercy Academy last season — and did not reclassify. She has easy speed and power as a forward and should be one of Newman's better players quickly.
Avery Terry, Tilton
Class of 2029, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Acton, Mass.
Terry captured Dual County League Player of the Year honors as an Acton-Boxboro freshman. I think she'll jump into an impact role with Tilton quickly given her established size, length and ability to play on and off the ball. Terry is the younger sister of BU-bound boys star Jaxson Terry.
Mel McCarthy, New Hampton
Class of 2028, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
McCarthy was hurt for much of last season, but she was a cornerstone to the most recent seasons of Bedford success in the NHIAA. She can space the floor and knock down 3-pointers or overpower opponents in the post. McCarthy, the younger sister of Fairfield center Lana McCarthy, holds Div. 1 offers from UNH, Maine and Fairleigh-Dickinson. She reclassifies and should take a leading role in the frontcourt on the AAA contender.
Tajeaya Sterling, St. Andrew's
Class of 2028, 5-10 forward
Hometown: Fall River, Mass.
Sterling is probably an underrated name here, but I liked what I saw from her with Boston Showstoppers at the New England Spring Showdown in April. She's a lanky, strong forward who blocks shots in the post and finishes around the basket. A lot of Sterling's game is still unrefined right now, but her tools intrigue me. She did not reclassify after transferring from Durfee.
Eva Zink, New Hampton
Class of 2028, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
Another Bedford transfer, Zink held down the frontcourt with McCarthy during Bedford's NIAA Div. 1 semifinal run last winter. She's a true 2028 forward who brings speed, toughness and length that bolster her standout defensive impact. Zink is also improving as a driving scorer and spot-up 3-point shooter. She recently added Le Moyne and Harvard to her list of Div. 1 offers.
