New England’s 2027 class is shaping up to be a good one.
These recruits only just finished their sophomore years, but the cycle of high school recruiting moves fast. Their junior seasons loom in just a few months, and colleges are starting to pay closer attention to the next wave of top prospects in this class.
The first watch list for the 2027 class is our view of the top 10 prospects from the region at this moment, and make no mistake, this group has plenty of room and time to grow. But this class is certainly looking very promising, as several prospects have already received multiple Division 1 scholarship offers. In our 2026 watch list released Thursday, I explained my thought process for how I make my choices – consistency, winning impact, physical tools and intangibles are all important factors when projecting success at the next level – but potential and upside are given some more emphasis for this group. Still, several of these players carved out important and even starting roles for some of the top teams in the region this winter.
To qualify for our watch lists, a player must be a native of New England or has played at least one high school season in the region. For transparency’s sake, we did not include Kamsi Awaka on this list. The big man from New York is taking his talents from Cheshire to Blair Academy next season, so we chose not to consider him a prospect from this region.
Here’s our 2027 watch list, with the players listed in alphabetical order.
MAY WATCH LISTS: 2026 boys | 2026 girls | 2027 girls | 2028 girls
Reece Ayala
Brewster Academy/Expressions Elite, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
A member of our NEPSAC All-Class A second team, Ayala led a young Milton Academy team to the playoffs with averages of 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game to go along with a team-leading 4.3 assists per game. A natural point guard, Ayala has great size for the position as a gifted scorer and playmaker. He has an elite ability to blow by defenders off the dribble and get to the rim with both hands, where he embraces contact with his strong physicality. Ayala is now taking his talents to Brewster Academy, where he should start getting even more buzz and attention.
Theo Edema
Cushing/Team New England, 7-foot center
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
Already one of the best bigs in New England, Edema blossomed as a sophomore as he earned a starting role on Cushing’s Class AA regular-season championship team. His size, naturally, has made him an unstoppable force on both ends of the rim as he averaged nine points, 10 boards and four blocked shots per game for the Penguins, which included a triple-double game with 12 blocks. Edema made huge leaps in his development over the winter with his basketball IQ, footwork and reading the game, and he has a special future ahead as he continues to put all his tools together. He already holds offers from Stanford, Creighton and Georgetown, and he’s undoubtedly a high-major prospect.
DJ Hawkins
St. Thomas More/Expressions Elite, 6-8 wing
Hometown: Farmington, Conn.
Hawkins had a productive year and healthy developmental role for a St. Thomas More squad that advanced to the final of the National Prep Championship, starting more than half of the Chancellors’ games as he put up 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. An explosive wing, Hawkins is a menace at the rim on both ends of the floor. And with a strong handle, touch and flow, he has high potential as a prospect who can at least be a secondary creator and knockdown shooter who impacts winning in several ways. He holds Division 1 offers from Bryant and Youngstown State.
Elijah McNair
St. Andrew’s/Expressions Elite, 6-4 guard
Hometown: East Providence, R.I.
McNair made a big jump as one of the best players at St. Andrew’s, averaging 14 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from deep. A three-level scorer, McNair is a powerful, physical guard who can get to the rim at will, where he’s exceptional at using the glass to make creative finishes. He emerged as a solid defender for head coach Mike Hart, who believes he’s a definite Division 1 prospect.
Ethan Njenga
St. George’s/BABC, 6-1 guard
Hometown: Lowell, Mass.
Njenga was a key piece of St. George’s ISL championship team this winter, producing a terrific 3.23 assist-to-turnover ratio while recording a team-leading 38 steals. He didn’t need to score much for a loaded Dragons squad, but he’s one of the best in this class at getting to the rim and making athletic finishes. He has room for improvement with his outside shot, but he has intriguing tools as a scoring guard and facilitator.
Patrick Otey
Overtime Elite, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
The former CATS guard no longer plays competitive basketball in New England, but he is arguably the best player from the region in this class. Otey joined Overtime Elite last year, returned in January after recovering from an MCL injury and put up productive numbers – he averaged 10 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 10 games. Ranked No. 24 in the nation by 24/7 Sports and No. 39 by ESPN, Otey is a fundamentally sound and skilled guard who has a strong basketball IQ and feel for the game. He can break down defenses off the dribble, has an elite pull-up game and makes the right reads time and time again.
Antonio Pemberton
Brewster Academy/Mass Rivals, 6-1 guard
Hometown: Methuen, Mass.
After helping Bradford Christian to the NEPSAC Class AA championship in 2024, Pemberton transferred to Brewster and became an important contributor to its national team, ultimately becoming a starter late in the season due to injuries as the Bobcats advanced to the Chipotle Nationals semifinals. He didn’t put up huge numbers for a loaded Brewster team, but he gave them important minutes in the backcourt and showed his potential as a natural point guard. Pemberton’s shiftiness and quickness with the ball separates him at the position and he reads the game at an advanced level and makes quick decisions. He has sneaky athleticism at 6-foot-1, and he’s a crafty playmaker who’s a strong finisher at the rim and has a smooth pull-up game and emerging outside shot. Pemberton holds an early offer for Rutgers, and he’s certainly due for more high-major attention as he plays up this spring and summer for Mass Rivals’ 17U squad.
Anthony Vick
Cushing/Team New England, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
When he catches fire, there may not be a better scorer in this New England class than Vick. The 6-foot-4 guard scored 15 points per game for Tilton this winter before announcing a transfer to Cushing, where his development will almost certainly take off over the next two seasons. There’s already a lot to love. Vick is a natural scorer and deadly 3-point shooter who can get his shot off from anywhere on the court, whether it’s deep catch-and-shoot 3s or devastating step-back shots. That opens up the floor for him to get to the hole, where he finishes and embraces contact at the rim with the best of them. He already holds Division 1 offers from Detroit Mercy and Fairfield.
Clyde Walters
Brewster Academy/Alabama Fusion, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.
Walters reclassified from the 2026 to the 2027 class as he joined Brewster last season, but he’d be a highly-touted prospect in either class. He is one of the most explosive athletes nationally in this class, which he showed with several highlight dunks over the winter with the Bobcats. It speaks to his high-major physical tools. A ball-handling wing, Walters has the body and skills to be a high-major talent as he continues to fill out and develop; he can shoot from mid-range and deep in addition to making plays for others.
Kamari Whyte
Vermont Academy/New Heights, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Harlem, N.Y.
Whyte emerged as one of the best sophomores in NEPSAC this winter following a strong season with Vermont Academy in which he was the only 2027 player to be an All-NEPSAC Class AAA honorable mention selection. He was a consistent producer for the Wildcats on both ends of the floor. He’s a disrupting on-ball defender who anticipates passing lanes for breakaway opportunities and a three-level scorer who’s a confident and reliable catch-and-shoot shooter from 3 and capable of getting to the rim for crafty and strong finishes.
Five more names to know: Josiah Adamson (CATS/Expressions Elite); TJ Allen (Darrow/BABC); Michael McNamara (Thayer/BABC); Greyson Pierce (St. Thomas More/PSA Cardinals); Tyson Robinson (Brimmer & May/Mass Rivals)
