At 29 schools, Class B is the largest division in NEPSAC girls basketball.
The fall reclassifications brought noteworthy changes, including a new championship frontrunner. Last year, St. George’s was in command of the class, winning all three of its playoff games by double digits en route to the title. This year, the field is wide open.
Individual talent is spread across much of Class B, too. Ten of last year’s 18 NEPSAC All-Class B honorees are returning, plus an influx of standouts from new schools. We should have some great team and player matchups to watch throughout the upcoming season.
Here are the top storylines in Class B as we prepare for tip-off.
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Rivers makes an entrance
Among the most significant changes in the reclassifications was Rivers, which made the Class AA playoffs last season, moving down to Class B.
The Red Wings are an immediate title contender. They have a new head coach in Kenny Small Jr., who joined the program in mid-September after previously coaching at Middlesex, and he’ll need to acclimate quickly. But the core of last year’s 15-10 team is back, and it’s strong, led by four college-bound seniors in Natalia Hall-Rosa (Seton Hall), Grace O’Sullivan (Princeton), Narissa Smith (Stonehill) and Chase Anderson (Amherst).
Rivers has a tough schedule that includes its former AA and now-AAA rivals. By the time playoffs roll around in March, they should be close-knit and battle-tested.
QUICK LEARNER: How Small is acclimating to his new program
Under new management
Small isn’t the only coach taking over for a Class B frontrunner. Angelina Marazzi is now at the helm of reigning champion St. George’s, who tallied a program-record 24 wins and secured their first-ever title last season under Olivia Healy.
Marazzi has big shoes to fill, but she’s confident and capable. The Manchester, N.H. native is a NEPSAC alum of Northfield Mount Hermon, and she scored more than 1,200 points in college at Framingham State before playing and coaching in the United Kingdom. She most recently spent a year as an assistant at Roger Williams.
Like Small, Marazzi inherits a roster ready to win now. Olivia VanPatten (Middletown, R.I.), Molly Donovan (Duxbury, Mass.) and Aleah Bracey (New Bedford, Mass.) return as senior stars who were critical to last year’s championship. St. George’s also added two impact transfers in Gianna Nichols (Sturbridge, Mass.) and Payton Scurry (Warwick, R.I.).
MORE: How Marazzi's experiences have prepared her to lead a NEPSAC champion
Unique underclassmen
Three members of our 2027 class watch list suit up for Class B programs.
Alannah Morantus landed on our preseason All-Class B team. The Cushing point guard from North Attleboro, Mass., has a special combination of court awareness and strength for both her position and age. She’s already got five Division 1 scholarship offers from Boston College, UMass, Dartmouth, Fairfield and Providence.
At Beaver Country Day, Javonah “Juice” Coston hopes to improve upon her first NEPSAC season, when she averaged 11 points and made the conference’s All-Class B list. Coston (Boston, Mass.) is a smooth scoring guard who is lights-out on mid-range pull-ups. She also showed improved facilitating skills while on the AAU circuit this summer, which bodes well for her stepping into a larger role.
Then there’s Jacylah “LaLa” Goode, who is part of a strong returning core at Greens Farms. The 6-foot lefty has scored offers from Providence and Fairleigh Dickinson. Goode (Derby, Conn.) is already one of the more versatile scorers in her class, a prolific shooter off the catch who can also spin and post up smaller defenders. She may have a sophomore leap in store.
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Breakthrough watch
The Class B championship has gone to six different schools in the last seven tournaments, with only Brooks repeating in 2019-20 and 2021-22 (there was no 2020-21 NEPSAC tournament).
St. George’s could go back-to-back, or we could see St. Luke’s return to glory after winning in 2022-23. That Storm team was led by a superstar guard in Mackenzie Nelson, and her younger sister, Camdyn, is the reigning Class B Player of the Year.
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Or, it’s highly likely the trophy moves on to a new school. Rivers is of course a candidate, but Greens Farms brings back much of the same cast that reached the semifinals last season, including Goode as well as senior and High Point commit Cheyenne Brand. Beaver could make some noise as a defending finalist, and Lawrence Academy has returning talent from its third-seeded team.
The deepest class in NEPSAC?
All of this is to say: Despite Class B being fourth on the NEPSAC ladder, its depth makes it arguably the most entertaining of all the divisions.
Beyond the aforementioned contenders, individual standouts are scattered across the different schools. Groton has junior Camryn Dunn leading the way after her All-NEPSAC campaign last season. Brianna McDermott is a smaller, high-energy senior guard leading Greenwich Country Day. Brooks is a perennial tough out in the playoffs with a stellar forward back in junior Summer Warren. You could even look further at the underclassmen and find more high-potential players, including Pearl Dickson (Berkshire) and Alannah Baehr (Suffield).
We’re going to see a lot of competitive games in Class B this winter. It makes predicting a champion tougher than in the top three classes, but it also means we can’t wait to see who rises above.
