New Hampton girls basketball has followed a steady upward trajectory recently. Two years ago, the Huskies went a competitive 15-11. Last year they were 19-9 and a Class AAA semifinalist that hung tough in an eventual loss to Nobles.
This year, the Huskies retain their core and have made several significant transfer additions. On paper, they have a genuine argument for the best roster in New England prep basketball. This feels like the culmination of several years of growth from the program.
Just don't say that to head coach Jamie Bavaro. She expects to chase a championship every winter, and recalls when her first New Hampton team upset Tabor as a No. 7 seed in the 2020 Class AA quarterfinals.
"The day that I came to New Hampton School, I thought it was my year," Bavaro said. "Is this the year? Absolutely. Was last year the year? 100 percent."
Bavaro is just as excited (if not more) about the potential for the Huskies. Here's how they're shaping up to be a title contender.
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Do the Huskies have NEPSAC's best duo?
It's tough to beat the combination of 2026 stars Elyse Ngenda and Serenity Lancaster.
Since landing on our All-Class AAA First Team last season, Ngenda has taken her game to new heights. The 5-foot-9 guard debuted on ESPN's national rankings this summer and is currently slotted No. 95 in the 2026 class. Ngenda shined on the Adidas 3SSB circuit with Mass Rivals and generated a ton of college interest.
She's in the home stretch of her recruiting process right now. Harvard, one of Ngenda's final five schools (also including Northwestern, Columbia, Princeton and Stanford), brought its entire coaching staff to New Hampton's Monday open gym. Ngenda has one more official visit to Columbia before she makes her decision.
"It can be a lot. I've been missing a lot of school, which has been a little bit stressful," Ngenda said. "But honestly, the recruitment process right now as a whole, it's been great, just because I finally settled it down to five choices, so I feel like that calmed it down a little bit more for me. ... Overall, all the schools have been great. I've had fun at every single one of them, not only just watching them practice and interacting with the coaches and the team, but as well as, outside the court, team bonding activities and stuff. Wherever I go, I know it's going to be a great choice, because all the schools and people are amazing."
Once Ngenda commits, she can put all her focus on her final prep season. Opposing coaches believe she's arguably the best player in NEPSAC right now. But in the Huskies program, she truly stands out as a communicator and vocal leader.
"She speaks really well, she knows the game very well, (but) she's always willing to learn," Bavaro said. "She's always willing to listen, which is why we've had such a great relationship, because no matter how she's grown as a player, she's just continued to want to learn and want to get better."
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Lancaster enters her last year more confident than ever. The 6-foot-2 forward has already committed to St. John's, and in her first year of prep ball last winter, went right at some of the toughest frontcourt matchups in the region. She earned our Class AAA Defensive Player of the Year award and landed on the All-Class AAA Second Team.
"It gave me a real boost, because I remember I was in Connecticut scrolling through Instagram, like, 'Yo, they're actually really pros.' Me playing against them, me knowing that I can do what they do, I feel like it gave me a lot of confidence boosts — like I can play at their level."
Lancaster primarily established herself as an inside scoring and shot-blocking threat last winter. But she's got a lot more in her bag. She showed off her rapidly-improving perimeter game during Monday's open gym and said she ran the point frequently in AAU with Connecticut Basketball Club.
"I want her to be more versatile, but I actually do think that's what makes her very unique," Bavaro said. "I think she can shoot the ball very well from 3. I think she could be active as much as she wants to be in the in the paint: rebounds, O-boards, finishing with the left and right (hand). Just her maturity too honestly, growing — of her reactions. If things aren't going her way, how does she react?"
Everyone's talking about Chloe Dix
Many think New Hampton's dynamic duo could add a third member. Dix, a 5-foot-11 wing from Australia, immediately turned heads at the June NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase and has only generated further buzz since. She's super strong for her size and can handle the ball, drive through contact and make smart passes.
Columbia has shown significant interest in Dix, and Bavaro got connected when learning she was looking for a postgrad year in the United States. It's rare to have two physically strong, versatile wings like Ngenda and Dix, and Dix brings a different perspective from overseas.
"I think coming from Australia, she just brings a different role that she had on her team — different style of play," Bavaro said. "She's very crafty, sees the floor very well, and makes reads in just a different way."
Dix is one of several New Hampton transfers who already have significant high-level basketball experience for their ages. She has suited for adult semi-pro teams in Australia, such as her NBL 1 squad that won the East championship. Dix also won MVP of the Youth 1 women's grand final over the summer with her Manly Warringah club. While there's still an important chemistry development process that happens during the fall, Dix and other transfers' built-in knowledge could give the Huskies an edge.
"I feel like it is different from adding a freshman, because for my senior year, I definitely want to experience another championship," Lancaster said. "So I feel coming in with more experienced players, they know what to do, no matter if they're from NEPSAC or not. They're another high-level basketball player."
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A guard room full of breakout candidates
Beyond Ngenda and Dix, who are more 2-guards and wings at the prep level, New Hampton has beefed up its backcourt. Kailey Sullivan (Foxboro, Mass.) joins for a postgrad year after scoring nearly 1,900 points at Foxboro and might immediately be the squad's best shooter.
Saige DeJesus represents a significant late transfer add coming from Winchendon. During Monday's open gym, the Haverhill, Mass., native and 2028 guard showed she's willing to battle on defense against strong older teammates. She also can make some high-level passes when she keeps her head up, like one on-target, high-low feed to Lancaster for an easy layup.
"I think she's doing a great job," Ngenda said. "Just even coming into our program, she's jelled with the girls really, really well. And I feel like, again, her having experience with already playing in NEPSAC, and her being young as well, her potential is surreal. So I feel like her breakout is gonna be amazing."
If there's an initial question with New Hampton, it's how the backcourt evolves after graduating some experienced, tough defenders in last year's senior class. But DeJesus and Sullivan can help fill the void — and that's before getting to growth from returners like Casey Stores (Bellingham, Mass.), Ava Perry (Groveland, Mass.), Abby Schrader (Winchester, Mass.) and more. Add in young talent like Libby Dahn (Newburyport, Mass.) on the wing and Shannon O'Leary (Marshfield, Mass) in the paint, and New Hampton's depth isn't just hype.
"I think it just get putting it all together. Them trusting the process (and) trusting each other will be big, and just taking it all in," Bavaro said. "This team will never be together again after this year, right? That's every single year and always just remembering that you'll never have the same team again."
