Welcome to our Best of New England high school player rankings. This begins a routine series in which we will be updating Top 50 rankings for New England's senior and junior classes, as well as watch lists for sophomores and freshmen.
Our goal: To create an accessible, accurate resource for folks in the basketball community looking to understand the scope of top players in the region. My rankings are influenced by high school production, coaches' perspectives, the general needs of college programs, and my own evaluations of players. Many perspectives direct how I build these lists; ultimately the final call is mine. You can read more about my approach to ranking players here.
The Class of 2026 has completed its tenure in youth basketball. As of late March, 36 players have committed to a Division 1 college. Late reclassifications nonwithstanding, 2026 will have roughly the same amount of Division 1 players as the heralded 2025 class. I also think Division 2 and Division 3 schools did a great job finding some gems.
Here are my top 50 college prospects in the 2026 class.
MORE RANKINGS:Â 2027 girls | 2028 girls | 2029 girls | 2027 boys | 2028 boys | 2029 boys
1. Fope Ayo
6-5 center
Austin Prep/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Methuen, Mass.
NCAA: Michigan
2. Elyse Ngenda
5-9 guard
New Hampton/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
NCAA: Stanford
3. Serenity Lancaster
6-1 forward
New Hampton/Connecticut Basketball Club
Hometown: New London, Conn.
NCAA: St. John's
4. Caterina Ravosa
6-2 forward
Wilbraham & Monson/iBelieve Elite
Hometown: East Longmeadow, Mass.
NCAA: Fairfield
5. Jae Scott
6-0 forward
Wachusett/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Holden, Mass.
NCAA: Tulsa
6. Bela Cucuta
5-10 guard
Tilton/iBelieve Elite
Hometown: Newington, Conn.
NCAA: George Washington
7. Brooke Golden
6-3 center
Tilton/MCW Starz
Hometown: Chester, N.H.
NCAA: Northwestern
8. Morgan Jenkins
6-2 forward
Newman/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Higganum, Conn.
NCAA: Xavier
9. Lauren Bousquet
5-10 wing
Moses Brown/Mass Huskies
Hometown: West Warwick, R.I.
NCAA: Rhode Island
10. Olivia Fleming
5-6 guard
Northfield Mount Hermon/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Windham, N.H.
NCAA: Lehigh
Top 10 notes: This class is defined in large part by its frontcourt stars. Six of our top 10 ranked players are forwards or centers, in part because of the talent at a positional group valued highly by college coaches. Leading the way is Ayo, ranked No. 45 by ESPN, as a post player with a size/strength/mobility combination unique for this region.
Ayo, Ngenda and Lancaster are a clear top three to me, and then the debate begins after. Scott might be the most unique, fluid athlete in this class. Cucuta would be my pick for best perimeter scorer. Bousquet deserves more recognition for how she's dominated in Rhode Island and on the AAU circuit. Fleming is the first point guard on the board because of her quickness, defensive tenacity and court vision.
11. Molly Corcoran
5-7 guard
Tabor/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Medford, Mass.
NCAA: Colgate
12. Abby Casper
6-0 guard/forward
Northwest Catholic/D4S
Hometown: Cromwell, Conn.
NCAA: Holy Cross
13. Ella Getz
6-1 forward
Worcester Academy/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
NCAA: UNH
14. Molly Sisson
6-3 center
Northfield Mount Hermon/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Rochester, Mass.
NCAA: Eastern Michigan
15. Maddie Provost
5-8 guard
Lawrence/Maine Firecrackers
Hometown: Fairfield, Maine
NCAA: Holy Cross
16. Eva Wilkerson
5-9 wing
Sacred Heart/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
NCAA: Towson
17. Jill Dingler
5-7 guard
Darrow/iDream
Hometown: Storrs, Conn.
NCAA: Central Connecticut
18. Selah Prignano
5-9 guard
Wilbraham & Monson/iBelieve Elite
Hometown: Newington, Conn.
NCAA: Sacred Heart
19. Gianna Nichols
5-7 guard
St. George's/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Sturbridge, Mass.
NCAA: Le Moyne
20. Brooke Nunnally-Gardner
6-0 center
Dexter Southfield/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Stoughton, Mass.
NCAA: Cornell
11-20 notes:Â We have three dynamic playmaking point guards in this section with Corcoran, Provost and Nichols. Provost gets underrated outside of Maine, but she is so much fun to watch and a great find for Holy Cross. This group in general has a couple of recruiting steals in my opinion. Wilkerson and Dingler fit that bill. Sisson and Nunnally-Gardner aren't the flashiest centers, but they're two more consistent contributors with their rebounding and willingness to play physically.
21. Sammie Sullivan
5-11 wing
Londonderry/MCW Starz
Hometown: Londonderry, N.H.
NCAA: Bryant
22. Celia Neilson
6-0 guard
Bishop Fenwick/MCW Starz
Hometown: Beverly, Mass.
NCAA: Uncommitted
Note: Neilson is reclassifying to 2027 and transferring to Tilton. This will be reflected in the next update.
23. Norah Fuld
6-3 forward
Western Reserve/iBelieve Elite
Hometown: Westport, Conn.
NCAA: Elon
24. Chloe Dix
5-10 wing
New Hampton (no AAU team)
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
NCAA: Columbia
25. Caitlin Boyle
6-2 forward
Bishop Fenwick/MCW Starz
Hometown: Georgetown, Mass.
NCAA: Stonehill
26. Skyler Walker
5-11 forward
Williston Northampton/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
NCAA: Stonehill
27. Mollie Mullen
5-9 guard
Bishop Feehan/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Dighton, Mass.
NCAA: Stonehill
28. Lauren Wright
6-1 forward
Loomis Chaffee/iExcel
Hometown: East Hartford, Conn.
NCAA: American
29. Charlotte Jasmin
5-9 guard
Hartford/Mass Huskies
Hometown: White River Junction, Vt.
NCAA: UNH
30. Allannah Orsby
6-0 wing
Phillips Exeter/Arkansas Bandits
Hometown: Jonesboro, Ark.
NCAA: Arkansas
21-30 thoughts: Five of these 10 players come from New England high schools, with Sullivan, a versatile, strong wing, leading the group. We also have two postgrads (Dix, Orsby) and a rare New England native playing outside the region in Fuld. Again we see size and frontcourt versatility stand out. Fuld, Boyle and Walker could play center or step out and hit 3s. Wright showed solid growth stepping into a larger role at Loomis Chaffee this winter.
31. Vanessa Ellis
5-11 forward
Nobles/MCW Starz
Hometown: Stoughton, Mass.
NCAA: Bentley
32. Isys Dunphy
5-10 wing
Cushing/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
NCAA: Central Connecticut
33. Emma Smith
5-10 guard
Concord Christian/MCW Starz
Hometown: Hudson, N.H.
NCAA: Lee
34. Brynn Bryant
5-6 guard
Nobles/MCW Starz
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
NCAA: Babson
35. Jenna Mishou
6-2 forward
Archbishop Williams/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: Hanson, Mass.
NCAA: Merrimack
36. Maddie McCaffery
5-6 guard
Tilton/MCW Starz
Hometown: Merrimack, N.H.
NCAA: St. Anselm
37. Izzy Cruz
5-7 guard
Loomis Chaffee/iDream
Hometown: Stafford Springs, Conn.
NCAA: Dartmouth
38. Bleu Kerr
5-8 guard
St. Mark's/RIBC
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
NCAA: Manhattan
39. Kylie Lamson
5-7 guard
Cheverus/XLP
Hometown: Portland, Maine
NCAA: St. Joseph's (Maine)
40. Ava Egan
6-0 forward
Newman/Bay State Jaguars
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
NCAA: Albany
31-40 thoughts: You'll start to see a lot of the low-major Div. 1 and strong Div. 2/3 crossover in this crop. Ellis is among my favorite steals at the sub-Div. 1 level and will be an impact player at Bentley. The guards come in a few styles. Kerr is the most explosive of this group. Smith and Lamson were dominant on-ball scorers in high school while McCaffery and Cruz thrive on the perimeter. Bryant is one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire class. I also want to shout out some some forwards with intriguing, still-developing skill-sets in Mishou and Wright.
41. Sarah Muir
5-7 guard
Bedford/MCW Starz
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
NCAA: Anderson
42. Chloe Egan
5-11 guard
Berkshire/iBelieve Elite
Hometown: Cotuit, Mass.
NCAA: Hamilton
43. Cortney Howell
6-1 forward
St. Mark's/RIBC
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
NCAA: Manhattan
44. Maddy Little
5-7 guard
Taft/Team Northeast
Hometown: Ithaca, N.Y.
NCAA: Longwood
45. Summer Warren
6-0 forward
Brooks/Mass Rivals
Hometown: Canton, Mass.
NCAA: Smith
46. Keyona Raines
5-7 guard
Cathedral/Boston Showstoppers
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
NCAA: UMass Boston
47. Liana Salamone
5-9 guard
Ethel Walker/Mass Huskies
Hometown: East Hampton, Conn.
NCAA: Central Connecticut
48. NyAsia McKelvey
6-2 forward
Darrow/New England Crusaders
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
NCAA: Central Connecticut
49. Breena Hannon
5-9 wing
Northfield Mount Hermon/Mass Huskies
Hometown: Riverside, R.I.
NCAA: Smith
50. Urielle Afoakwa-Abrokwa
5-11 center
East Catholic
Hometown: East Hartford, Conn.
NCAA: Johnson & Wales
41-50 thoughts:Â As we get down to the end of this group, you'll see a handful more Division 1 commits and some potential Div. 3 stars. Again, much of this section becomes dealer's choice with preferences in the rankings. I've watched Keyona Raines a lot over the years and saw her take a notable step forward as a scorer and passer this winter. Hannon has always impressed me with how she can fit different team needs in a complimentary role at Northfield Mount Hermon. Afoakwa-Abrokwa dominates the CIAC inside with her size and touch around the basket; she should be able to still at the next level.
I considered at least 15 more names for the final spots. Tess Adams (Tabor), Eva Andrews (Needham), Avery Gamble (Oliver Ames), Nicole Reimer (Bristol Central) and Annie Zink (Bedford) were among the most painful omissions. I also want to remind folks that non-New England natives at prep schools outside New England are not eligible for this list. With the 2026 class, that most affects Hoosac, who fielded standouts like Uliana Doronina, Tanavia Turpin and A'Briyah Cunningham.
