The first half of the grassroots season has gone by in a flash.
We've already completed the first two live period weekends in girls basketball and the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase tips off in less than three weeks. Though the NCAA transfer portal and coaching carousel have encroached on high school recruiting, we saw a renewed flood of college scholarship offers following the second live period in mid-May.
It's time to check in on the prospects gaining new traction in New England girls basketball. Several players have received their first Division 1 scholarship offers, while others have experienced a noticeable bump in recruiting interest and stature. Some additional names have elevated their standing in my personal eyes and may be due for an appearance in our next Best of New England rankings.
Here are 10 stock-risers from the spring so far.
Sam Barton, MCW Starz
Class of 2027, 5-10 wing
Dexter Southfield/Reading, Mass.
Barton made her return from an ACL injury late this winter after it had cost her most of the past two seasons of prep school ball. On the grassroots circuit, with a bit more time and runway, Barton has played with confidence and aggression. She's a 3-and-D wing who's also quick to drive and attack closeouts. Barton was not in our first Best of New England Top 50 for 2027; that will change in our next update.
Delaney Bonneau, BCRI
Class of 2027, 5-11 guard
Narragansett/Narragansett, R.I.
Bonneau has been a quiet breakout, earning a standout mention from me after April's New England Spring Showdown and later adding 15-point and 21-point games at the Atlantic City Showcase. She's a consistent 3-point shooter who makes smart plays routinely when the ball is in her hands. Bonneau has generated significant Div. 2 and Div. 3 interest as a result, and she even picked up her first Div. 1 offer from USC Upstate.
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Ava Bryant, Jersey Gemz
Class of 2027, 6-5 center
Tilton/Rye, N.Y.
We haven't seen much of Bryant locally since she's been playing with a New Jersey program. But she's a rare tie to the Nike EYBL circuit — and she's been a force. Bryant is second in EYBL play with 9.0 rebounds per game and leads the circuit in blocks (3.4). She's added offers from UCF, Boston College, Pitt and Seton Hall this spring.
Abby Broderick, Bay State Jaguars
Class of 2028, 5-10 wing
Medfield/Medfield, Mass.
Broderick notched her second Division 1 offer, from Harvard, two weeks after the Atlantic City Showcase. She earned praise for her performance in New Jersey and was among my standouts from April's New England Spring Showdown. Broderick's quick, elite 3-point prowess is clearly resonating, along with her toughness and improving off-dribble game.
Zuri Faison, Pivot Elite
Class of 2028, 6-0 wing
Greenwich/Greenwich, Conn.
Faison has carried a championship-winning run in the CIAC over to a strong grassroots campaign. She shined at the Atlantic City Showcase with her effortless athletic tools and dominance on the boards. Faison scored second Division 1 offer from Iona in the following weeks and should add more in time.
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Reese Jeamel, iBelieve Elite
Class of 2029, 6-1 wing
MacDuffie/Coventry, Conn.
The most buzz-worthy name of the spring is Jeamel, who is reclassifying and transferring to MacDuffie after starring at Coventry this winter. She's raking in high-level Div. 1 interest because of her combination of length, speed off the dribble and pull-up scoring potential. Her 2026 offers include: Florida, Arizona State, Indiana, Penn State, Harvard, Arizona State, Villanova, Providence and SMU.
Paola Kanoute, iBelieve Elite
Class of 2027, 6-3 wing
Putnam Science/Brignolles, France
Kanoute is among my most significant personal stock-risers. After coming over from France and playing at Putnam Science, Kanoute has stamped herself as a must-watch New England talent with iBelieve this spring. Her sheer speed and aggression at her size stand out immediately, and Kanoute is showing flashes as a perimeter shooter and passer. She picked up her first four Div. 1 offers from Boston University, Quinnipiac, Radford and Howard.
Layla Ljubuncic, iBelieve Elite
Class of 2028, 5-7 guard
MacDuffie/Burlington, Conn.
Ljubuncic starts on iBelieve's Power 24 17U team, even though she just announced she'll be reclassifying and transferring to MacDuffie. A 1,000-point scorer at Lewis Mills, Ljubuncic is one of New England's truly elite 3-point shooters, and it's shown in some big grassroots games. She's another star who I currently have unranked but will get on the board with my next Best of New England update.
Alannah Morantus, Mass Rivals
Class of 2028, 6-0 guard
Nobles/North Attleboro, Mass.
Morantus is already a well-known Division 1 prospect, but she's starting to hit a new level of college interest. I labeled her a standout from the Atlantic City Showcase and she came away from that weekend with a handful of offers from schools we don't see recruit often from New England. Those include Texas A&M, Illinois, Dayton and South Florida. Morantus has also added spring offers from Harvard and Quinnipiac.
Anna Moser, Team Northeast
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Hoosac/Clifton Park, N.Y.
Moser (a native of Rutland, Vt.) has similarly leveled up her interest and entrenched herself as a high-major prospect. This spring, she's garnered offers from Florida, Indiana, Virginia and Penn State with multiple statement live period efforts. Moser is third in our Best of New England 2027 rankings and a possible candidate for national rankings when ESPN expands its list this summer.
