Across the country, college coaches are dusting off their scouting notebooks and planning recruiting trips for this spring and summer as they search for potential fits for their programs in the 2027 class. As usual, they’d be wise to eye the hotbed of talent in New England.
Another deep class of soon-to-be seniors from the region is forming. At the top, there are a handful of names who are already well-known. But I’m personally more intrigued with the budding stars behind them, many of whom are firmly on the rise and looking primed for breakout years. From shooting wings to versatile weapons and electric guards, there’s something for every college coach to sink their teeth into. There’s a ton of untapped potential in this class and I’m fascinated to see how our rankings evolve with this group over this critical year for them.
The goal of our Best of New England series is to decipher the hierarchy of talent in each class of the region by projecting their college impact. It’s based on a slew of factors, starting with our own evaluations and what we’ve learned about what college programs are looking for. Physical traits, unique skillsets, consistent production, leadership traits and winning intangibles all matter, but we understand this class is still growing and developing.
The next three months of grassroots basketball will further clarify the picture of this class, and we expect significant changes to these rankings in our updates over the next year. But as the calendar turns to April 2026, here’s where the Top 50 stands for the New England’s 2027 class.
Note: To be eligible for our Best of New England rankings, a prospect must be a native of the region or must have completed at least one season at a school based in the region. That means that non-New Englanders at New York-based NEPSAC schools are ineligible.
MORE RANKINGS: 2026 boys | 2026 girls | 2027 girls
1. Theo Edema
7-foot center
Cushing/Team New England
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
2. Antonio Pemberton
6-1 guard
Masters Academy International/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
3. Patrick Otey
6-5 guard
St. Thomas More/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
4. Markus Kerr
6-5 wing
Brewster Academy/Team United
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
5. Kamari Whyte
6-3 guard
Vermont Academy/New Heights
Hometown: Harlem, N.Y.
6. DJ Hawkins
6-6 wing
St. Thomas More/BABC
Hometown: Farmington, Conn.
7. Josiah Adamson
6-3 guard
CATS Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
8. Greyson Pierce
6-7 forward
St. Thomas More/BABC
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.
9. Declan Griffiths
6-6 wing
Newman/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Simsbury, Conn.
10. Ater Maker Bol Meen
6-9 wing
CATS Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Top 10 notes: The top four of this class are each considered national Top 100 prospects, with Edema – who holds at least 15 high-major offers – leading the pack with his unique combination of size, skill and two-way impact. This group is loaded with offensive firepower. Pemberton and Whyte – who were both named Gatorade Player of the Year – are premier scorers. Otey may be the most skilled offensive talent, while Pierce and Griffiths are elite shooters with length.
11. Nate Blenman
6-9 forward
Cushing/Team New England
Hometown: Amherst, N.Y.
12. Jalen Taggart
6-4 guard
Putnam Science/City Rocks
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
13. LaDanion Payne
6-2 guard
Brimmer & May/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Mattapan, Mass.
14. Davon Maloney
6-6 wing
Newman/City Rocks
Hometown: Albany, N.Y.
15. Mark Burns
6-9 forward
Brewster Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Belfast, Ireland
16. Michael McNamara
6-9 wing
CATS Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
17. Valdis Valters
6-2 guard
CATS Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Riga, Latvia
18. Preston Bollin
6-6 forward
Newman/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Raynham, Mass.
19. Donovan Clement
6-8 wing
St. Mark’s/BCRI
Hometown: Pawtucket, R.I.
20. Tavin Penix
6-4 guard
Winchendon/Rhode Island Elite
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.
11-20 notes: Versatility and high upside define this section, which includes several prospects gaining serious upward trajectory and momentum following successful winter seasons. Blenman and Taggart each hold offers from Oklahoma State; Taggart led Putnam Science in scoring this season and may be the region’s top 3-point shooter. Maloney, Burns and McNamara are skilled wings with range. Clement and Penix are both stock-risers due for breakout springs.
21. Jaylen Hunter-Coleman
6-0 guard
Newman/BABC
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
22. Tyler Newsom
6-6 guard/forward
St. Luke’s/PSA Cardinals
Hometown: Monroe, Conn.
23. Reece Ayala
6-4 guard
Brewster Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
24. Dillon Callahan
6-4 guard
St. Thomas More/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Croton-Hudson, N.Y.
25. Stetson Merritt
6-3 guard
New Hampton/City Rocks
Hometown: Troy, N.Y.
26. Tayden Langdon
6-2 guard
Brewster Academy/The Family
Hometown: Birmingham, Mich.
27. Bentley Shelton
6-5 guard
St. Thomas More/City Rocks
Hometown:
28. Spencer Booth
6-10 center
Milton Academy/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Scarborough, Maine
29. Cole Blackburn
6-7 wing
Worcester Academy/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
30. Anthony Vick
6-3 guard
Cushing/Team New England
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
21-30 notes: Not much separates this pack of prospects, who each bring different skills and ability to the table. Hunter-Coleman and Callahan are two of the best defenders in the region. Newsom, who boasts athleticism and is a jack of all trades, holds eight Division 1 offers. Merritt, Langdon and Vick can each impact games with high-level shotmaking. Blackburn is one of the most athletic prospects in this class.
31. Cam Blankenburg
6-8 forward
Winchendon/City Rocks
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
32. Alonzo Archbold
6-8 wing
Hotchkiss/New Heights
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
33. Coley Mark
7-foot center
Cushing/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Brookline, Mass.
34. Samuel Owusu-Aduomi
6-5 wing
Tilton/BABC
Hometown: Tenafly, N.J.
35. Fil Mozoul
6-7 forward
Vermont Academy/Expressions Elite
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
36. Talib Martin
6-6 wing
St. Andrew’s/New Heights
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
37. Jabari Edmonds
6-5 guard
Phillips Andover/Team New England
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
38. Mamadou Camara
6-1 guard
Vermont Academy/Team White Mamba
Hometown: Salem, Mass.
39. Kyle Seltzer
6-11 forward
Williston Northampton/New Heights
Hometown: Sag Harbor, N.Y.
40. Kenny Benedict
6-6 guard/forward
St. George’s/New York Lightning
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
31-40 notes: If you’re looking for frontcourt help, this section is loaded. There’s a good chance I’m underrating several of these names as they continue to tap into their potential. Blankenburg is a Swiss Army knife that Winchendon coach Alex Popp once described to me as a “poor man’s Cooper Flagg.” Archbold is an athletic wing who carried Hotchkiss in its game-defining run in the Class A championship game, and he has great leadership traits. Mark, who has a Bucknell offer, has incredible upside as a 7-footer who can shoot. Every time I saw Martin this season, he made an impact on both ends of the court.
At 6-foot-7, Mozoul is super intriguing as a 3-point threat who offers rim protection. His teammate, Camara, was a consistent playmaker in his first season at Vermont Academy. Benedict had a terrific season at St. George’s with his two-way motor and ability to score. He participated in the Basketball Without Borders camp at NBA All-Star weekend.
41. Jalen Rogers
6-9 wing
Beaver Country Day/Team Spartans
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
42. Elijah McNair
6-4 guard
St. Andrew’s/Expressions Elite
Hometown: East Providence, R.I.
43. Jerry Johnson Jr.
6-4 guard
Williston Northampton/Philly Pride
Hometown: Lancaster, Pa.
44. Malik Adamson
5-10 guard
Dexter Southfield/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
45. Julien Wiggins
5-11 guard
Westminster/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
46. Treddy Faison
6-0 guard
Winchendon/City Rocks
Hometown: Troy, N.Y.
47. Avery Council
6-0 guard
CATS Academy/City Rocks
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
48. Paxton Ivy
6-3 guard
Lawrence Academy/Middlesex Magic
Hometown: Heath, Texas
49. Ikenna Okafor
6-7 guard/forward
Rivers/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Brockton, Mass.
50. Jakare Innocent
6-2 guard
Tilton/BABC
Hometown: Taunton, Mass.
41-50 notes: A handful of smaller guards with Division 1 potential fill this list. Adamson, one of the best defensive guards in the class, continuously impacts winning on both sides of the ball and has improved his 3-point shot. Wiggins holds a pair of Division 1 offers from Fairfield and Alcorn State as he enters a big spring with the Middlesex Magic, and Faison is an impact two-way player with great playmaking IQ and plays with an edge.
Two intriguing wings, Rogers and Okafor, are included in this section. Okafor has guard skills with length and 3-point shooting ability at 6-foot-7, and he’s a stock-rising candidate as he continues to develop and get stronger.
Among the names strongly considered in this Top 50 but didn’t make the cut: St. George’s guard Ethan Njenga, Brimmer & May forward Tyson Robinson, St. Mark’s forward Luca Palermo and Cushing’s Elliot Erickson. As I mentioned, these rankings are fluid.
