WORCESTER, Mass. — The NEPSAC Girls Scholastic Showcase is critically valuable in helping expand my understanding of who's up next in New England.
As I pinballed between the three courts at Worcester Academy, in addition to noting plenty of upperclassmen, I also wanted to get my bearings on the potential future stars in the 2029 and 2030 classes. Many of the names I know well backed up early hype, and I've added quite a few new ones to my notebook.
We have quite a range of player types below. The most prominent position groups emerging are some high-level scoring guards and skilled, athletic wings. A select few have already garnered interest from Division 1 coaches both before and shortly after the showcase.
Here are 15 standouts, plus some honorable mentions, among the 2029 and 2030 talent.
MORE SCHOLASTIC SHOWCASE STANDOUTS:Â 2027 guards | 2027 forwards | 2028
Alana Brownstein, Lawrence Academy
Class of 2029, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
Brownstein has so much upside to tap into with her physical tools as a long, athletic guard. I saw flashes of it on the fast break and on defense, where she made some quality shot contests and covers a ton of ground. Brownstein made a couple of spot-up 3-pointers and her highlight was an on-ball steal that led to a tough layup through a foul. She scored her first Division 1 offer from Providence a few weeks ago.
Saige DeJesus, New Hampton
Class of 2029, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Brockton, Mass.
I labeled DeJesus a player to watch at this showcase because of the starting point guard role she'll likely inherit at New Hampton. I thought she largely did a great job handling the responsibilities in this first go-round. DeJesus likes to pressure the defense with strong drives to the basket and converted some nifty difficult layups. She also threw multiple dimes ahead for transition assists and continues to confidently make 3s. DeJesus is a polished guard for being a reclassified 2029 prospect, and it's why she's recently added her first offers from Dartmouth and UMBC.
Lyla Diaz, Worcester Academy
Class of 2029, 6-1 forward
Hometown: Hartford, Conn.
Diaz transfers into NEPSAC from CIAC powerhouse Northwest Catholic. Her defense stuck out right away; I wrote down three blocks and probably missed some more. Diaz swatted two driving shot attempts and was able to step up and tip another jumper. Offensively, she got to a quick jump hook out of a baseline-out-of-bounds play and ran the floor in transition for a putback layup. Diaz's size, length and mobility make her a versatile frontcourt prospect, and she has a solid feel for where to be in the paint on offense.
Jali Eason, Governor's
Class of 2029, 5-9 guard
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Eason is among the big winners from the week, securing her first Div. 1 offer from Boston University. Once again, she has a smoothness to her scoring game that is uncommon for point guards her age. She gets to her spots in the mid-range with ease and is comfortable making pull-up jumpers. She finishes through contact at the basket and is great at shielding the ball in the air. Eason also keeps her head up for teammates and is a capable decision-maker. I'd consider Eason among the most trustworthy floor generals in her class right now.
Madison Greenaway, Berkshire
Class of 2029, 5-7 (estimate) guard
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
Greenaway's pure speed in full and half-court settings opens up a lot for Berkshire. She pushed the pace in transition and made a few sharp straight-line drives. Greenaway does a nice job of ripping through defenders with the ball and staying focused through contact at the basket. She also made a high-level pick-and-roll pass to Lana Orietas for a bucket. Berkshire has some momentum building after winning Class B Large last year, and Greenaway, a new transfer, should be involved quickly.
Sadie Hartley-Matteson, Tabor
Class of 2029, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Mattapoisett, Mass.
Tabor has added a handful of transfers to restore depth to its roster. Hartley-Matteson, who reclassified after her freshman year at Old Rochester, intrigued me on a first look. She's athletic at her size and can power-drive in a straight line for layups. Hartley-Matteson also made two 3s and looks comfortable shooting off the catch. She'll obviously need some time to adjust to NEPSAC AAA, but Hartley-Matteson has some skill and Tabor has done a great job developing wings and forwards in recent years.
Dalila Malz, Kingswood Oxford
Class of 2029, 5-10 forward
Hometown: Colchester, Conn.
Malz was one of a few fun performers in the last game of the showcase that I watched on Saturday. Her footwork is phenomenal; Malz got to multiple up-and-under scores near the basket. She saw a mismatch defending the rim in transition and attacked the defender for an and-1 layup, and also hit a spot-up 3. I liked some of Malz's awareness defending off the ball and her active hands. She emerged as a leader on a Kingswood Oxford squad that surprised me a bit last winter, and Malz should be one of Class B Small's top talents this year.
Valencia Neely, Milton Academy
Class of 2030, 5-6 (estimate) guard
Hometown: Easton, Mass.
Milton Academy has a bunch of fun younger guards. Neely surprised me as a new name in the 2030 class and a new Mustang. In viewings Friday and Saturday, Neely was locked in shooting beyond the arc and quick to attack. Her hustle on defense was also commendable, including an impressive chasedown block. Milton Academy should factor into the Class A playoff mix again this winter, so I want to see more of Neely competing on this roster.
Maya Ocana-Saunders, MacDuffie
Class of 2030, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
MacDuffie is loading up with high-profile talent as it reshapes its girls basketball program. I think Ocana-Saunders is an underrated name among this group of transfers. Again, she was one of the best finishing guards I saw all week regardless of class. Ocana-Saunders is much stronger than her age and size would suggest and she has no problem taking contact. This isn't the first time I've noted this with her either. As I start to build out my 2030 knowledge base, Ocana-Saunders is a lock in the upper tiers.
Nahla Perkins, Nobles
Class of 2029, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Perkins secured her first Division 1 offer from Quinnipiac after the Scholastic Showcase, and I can practically guarantee that will be the first of several. She continues to build on a breakout 2026 spring and summer by showing off long arms, a consistent motor and budding two-way impact. Perkins can use a quick crossover and blow by defenders driving from the perimeter. She hustles hard on the boards and is already warping the game defensively with help blocks and back-line coverage. Her willingness to battle is a great starting point as Perkins adds strength to her frame.
Mollie Puffer, Phillips Exeter
Class of 2029, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Sanford, Maine
Another significant stock-riser, Puffer was among the top performers across all classes this weekend. I actually got to see two Dana Hall/Phillips Exeter/Kents Hill games and was blown away by her consistent dominance in both.
Puffer is a fluid ball-handler and super strong for her position at probably the 2 or 3. I will dare to use the "three-level scorer" cliché here; Puffer was drilling sidestep 3s, mixing in some stop-and-pop mid-range shots, hesi-dribbling to the basket and finishing layups with both hands. She had a sequence Friday with two offensive rebounds and a save, all in one possession, and a sweet wraparound bounce pass to Nyeerah Padgett for an assist on Saturday. Puffer's vision is better than I anticipated and almost nothing felt forced when she had the ball. She has pre-showcase offers from Mercyhurst and BU, and that will assuredly be just the start.
Corey Sims, Brimmer & May
Class of 2030, 6-0 wing
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Sims has been on radars longer than most 2030 prospects and I know that local colleges are keeping tabs. The reason: she's 6 feet and can handle the ball, drive and score, and knock down an open 3. I watched Sims on Thursday and thought she gave one of the better effort levels I've seen from her, battling for offensive rebounds and playing through physicality. We're still a long way from understanding Sims' full potential, but she remains one of the most intriguing players in this very young class.
Addy Sipkin, Sacred Heart
Class of 2029, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Chappaqua, N.Y.
Sipkin has an ease to the way she gets into her 3-point looks, either spotting up or pulling up off the dribble. She has a capable handle and is so strong for a young point guard — very methodical in the way she gets to her spots on the floor or scores at the rim. Sipkin found cutters and kept her head up. Improving her decisions and cutting down turnovers should come with experience; Sipkin is already capable of running offense for the defending Class A champions right now.
Jenae Smith, Mount St. Charles
Class of 2030, 5-8 (estimate) wing
Hometown: Scituate, R.I.
Mount St. Charles fields a few interesting, super young prospects on the roster, but Smith stuck out to me. She's a capable perimeter shooter already and stronger than her frame would suggest. Smith made smart cuts and drives for layups as well. I'm monitoring Mount St. Charles as a B Small playoff contender once again with Smith stepping up in her role. She's someone I want to watch more of, but this was a strong first impression.
Yu-Yen Tsai, St. Andrew's
Class of 2029, 5-1 (estimate) guard
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
We've saved one of the most fun individual efforts of the weekend for last. I was with a college coach and prep coach watching St. Andrew's face Hamden Hall, and we were hyped at Tsai's electricity as a small guard. First off, she is a menace of a perimeter defender who gave Maddie Benigni — a Div. 1 commit who I regard highly — genuine trouble at times. Then on offense, Tsai can shake defenders off the dribble and burst to the rim. I'd like to see her efficiency there improve, but she's capable of some acrobatic layups. Tsai gave St. Andrew's an admirable spark and I'm interested to see how that translates to her first year in the United States.
Quick shouts: Tilton has two 2029s who made our preliminary class watch list and are definitely worth tracking. Giuliana Shepard (Easton, Mass.) showed an ability to separate from defenders with her handle as a strong lead guard when I watched, and I later heard she had some great moments as a scorer in other games. Avery Terry (Acton, Mass.) has a ton of upside as a fluid, athletic forward who cuts well and fights for rebounds. ... I thought the region's early top 2029 prospects, Avery Bollin (Dexter Southfield/Raynham, Mass.) and Reese Jeamel (MacDuffie/Coventry, Conn.), were both solid. Bollin continues to show she can overpower older defenders in the post, and Jeamel's length and athleticism look special.
... Melody Vaughn (Newman/Glassboro, N.J.) is definitely a new 2029 name to remember who can really shoot the ball and already has signficant Div. 1 interest. ... I admired how Alem Teng (Proctor/Manchester, N.H.) took a hard fall Saturday, shook it off and made two 3s while grabbing some effort rebounds. She's a very intriguing long-term prospect in the 2029 class. ... Along with Diaz, Worcester Academy added another versatile forward who makes big-time defensive plays in 2029 Abbie Rabinovich (Hopkinton, Mass.). ... Four more 2029 guards who stood out briefly in the moments I saw: Jordynn Elwood (St. Mark's/Wareham, Mass.), London Fulmore (Greenwich Country Day/Bronx, N.Y.), Ashley Fontanella (Ethel Walker/Higganum, Conn.) and Harper Williams (St. Luke's).
... In the 2030 class, continue to keep an eye on Xzyla Simpson (Dexter Southfield/Mattapan, Mass.). The shifty point guard has the handle and burst to separate from defenders at the Class AAA level. Cailynne Tyler-Wilson (Beaver/Roxbury, Mass.) is one more 2030 guard who played well in my brief viewing.
