As freshman year draws to a close, it's time for our first look at the elite players in the 2028 class.
I cannot make this more clear: I still have a lot to learn. Most freshmen are playing smaller condensed roles, or barely at all, on their school teams. It's hard to get a read on athletes' full capabilities. One of my goals in the coming months of AAU is to watch some of the 2028 teams and see who stands out. You should expect this list to look different when we update it at the end of the summer (check out the 2026 watch list, where I explained a bit of my thought process).
That being said, I'm confident in a strong group of freshmen who have either excelled with significant responsibilities early or shined in their roles on great teams. Most of these standouts have succeeded against older opponents in school or on the travel circuit. We'll touch on Ella Peper, who needs no introduction. Beyond her, I really like the potential from the top guards as lead creators and feisty perimeter defenders.
Get these 10 names, listed alphabetically, on your radar.
MORE WATCH LISTS: 2026 girls | 2027 girls
Aliyah Allston-Pujols
Nobles/Shooting Touch, 5-10 guard/forward
Hometown: Randolph, Mass.
Nobles knew entering the season that it would need depth players like Allston-Pujols to keep the dominance rolling. She was a high-minutes shooting guard throughout the season, fitting in as a hard-nosed perimeter defender and cutter on a 30-2 Bulldogs team that went to the Class AAA title game. There are times Allston-Pujols will attack a mismatch on a drive — she can already back down smaller defenders in the post — and she has great touch around the basket. Allston-Pujols received an early offer from UNH; she's primed for a much larger role at Nobles next winter.
Ava Ayotte
Mount St. Charles/Bay State Jaguars, 5-5 guard
Hometown: Burrillville, R.I.
Ayotte has quickly established herself as one of the better shooters in the class. I watched her catch fire at the Girls Hoops Series Winter Classic at Tabor, and she continued that momentum through a strong winter that led to All-NEPSAC Class B Honorable Mention recognition from the league. It's not just that she makes 3s; Ayotte has a quick release and can drill them off of difficult movement. She also has some growing ball-handling and driving chops.
Jalisa “Juju” Booth
Suffield/iBelieve Elite, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Hartford, Conn.
Booth played major minutes on Suffield's young breakout team this winter and her explosive athleticism quickly caught my eye. She's super fast and can pretty easily get to the second level of a defense. Booth also channels her bounce and quickness on the other end, using active hands as well to pester guards and force turnovers in the passing lanes. She was one of my underclassmen standouts at the New England Spring Showdown.
Lily Davis
Tabor/iBelieve Elite, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Waterford, Conn.
Davis commanded backup point guard minutes right away at Tabor and looked like she belonged. She's got an explosive first step and is tough to stop if she gets a straight-line driving lane. I saw Davis get more comfortable using ball screens and passing out of drives as the season went along. She's playing up on iBelieve's 2027 Select 40 team, where I've seen similar traits and some flashes of quality team defense.
Saige DeJesus
Winchendon/New England Storm, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
DeJesus was given the keys to Winchendon's offense in the winter, and she already looks like an advanced playmaking guard. She has great command scoring off the dribble and can comfortably get to floaters and layups. She also sees the floor at a high level and I was impressed when I first watched her back in December. DeJesus is new to the Storm and immediately one of the better college prospects in the program.
Ella Peper
Dexter Southfield/Bay State Jaguars, 6-4 guard/forward
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
We're going to spend the coming months and years nitpicking and critiquing Peper's development. That's one of the burdens that comes with superstardom. But let's wipe the slate clean here and remember that she's one of the best New England prospects in recent memory.
She is a 6-4 wing who is already an elite perimeter shooter off the catch. Her long strides and natural athleticism make her a nightmare in transition and with an open driving lane (and she can dunk). She's quick enough to defend wings and guards and long enough to wreak havoc as a help rim-protector. And she's getting stronger and better at playing through contact. Peper has more than 20 Division 1 offers, mostly from elite Power Four schools, for a reason.
Joy Robinson
Rivers/Team Sims, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Norwood, Mass.
Robinson floored me with her on-ball defense in the NEPSAC Class B playoffs, making life difficult for two of our All-Class B First Team stars in Camdyn Nelson and Chloe Egan. She moves her feet extremely well and takes contact better than you'd expect from a freshman guard. It says a lot that Rivers trusted her to start and take those assignments en route to a championship. Robinson is also improving as a spot-up shooter and is threatening from the corners.
Aaralyn Scott
St. Andrew's/RIBC, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
Scott joined Peper as the only two freshmen to earn NEPSGBCA Class AAA All-Star honors. She's a super strong combo guard who can shrug off contact from smaller defenders to finish at the basket. Scott has a solid handle and a steady 3-point shot, and when I watched her play, she seemed up to speed with the prep school level as a decision-maker. She's got an early offer from UNH.
Avery Vanderburg
Wilbraham & Monson/iBelieve Elite, 5-9 guard/forward
Hometown: Easton, Conn.
An NEPSAC AA All-League Honorable Mention, Vanderburg started on a Wilbraham & Monson team that reached the Class AA semifinals. She averaged 8.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 21 minutes per game, most working off the ball as a spacer and cutter. Vanderburg did a great job in that role; she can shoot it, she's physically strong and she plays consistently hard. A sophomore leap will be exciting for both her and the Titans' Class AA chances next season.
Eva Zink
Bedford/MCW Starz, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
Zink started as a freshman at Bedford, helping perhaps the top public school team in New England go undefeated en route to an NHIAA Div. 1 championship. She's also playing up a year on MCW's 2027 Power 24 team and is clearly unafraid of older competition. Zink is a long, fluid wing, and her defensive awareness and motor popped quickly to me at the New England Spring Showdown in April. She can also hit 3-pointers off the catch. Zink has an early offer from UNH.
Five more names to know: Anjolie Abelard (Milton Academy/Milton, Mass.), Addison Brennan (Wilbraham & Monson/Monroe, Conn.), Abigail Broderick (Medfield/Medfield, Mass.), Jules Stevenson (Phillips Andover/Beverly, Mass.), Kyla Yurkus (Wachusett/Holden, Mass.)
