The first half of the 2026 boys grassroots season is the books.
The live period from May 15-17 served as an unofficial midway point of the spring season. That weekend also gave us an important inflection point on the spring and summer. It was the first time this season that Division 1 coaches were allowed to evaluate prospects in person, and as expected, we’ve seen significant recruiting traction since in the form of scholarship offers and interest.
The upcoming June NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase live periods as well as the July grassroots live periods will help us further cement the biggest winners of the spring and summer. But we’ve seen enough over the last two months of AAU action – between recruiting interest and our own observations at local tournaments and circuit play production – to form a list of early stock risers.
Here are 12 recruits from New England who are trending up.
Christian Chartier, New England Storm
Class of 2027, 6-6 wing
Phillips Exeter/Hampton, N.H.
Chartier was our Class A Marksman of the Year as the best 3-point shooter in the class and he’s carried that success into the spring with the Storm. He’s averaging 18.5 points per game on five made 3-pointers per game, which included standout performances at Pitt Jam Fest and the Hoop Group live period. He’s also made significant strides in his downhill scoring ability, ball handling, attacking closeouts and playing above the rim, vocal leadership and defensive competitiveness. Chartier picked up his first Division 1 offer from New Hampshire after the live period and he’s also receiving interest from schools like Brown, Holy Cross, Princeton, Dartmouth, Air Force and George Washington.
Jabari Edmonds, Team New England
Class of 2027, 6-5 guard
Phillips Andover/Providence, R.I.
After suffering a season-ending injury last summer, Edmonds is healthy and picking up where he left off from a standout winter at Phillips Andover. He’s been one of TNE’s most consistent 17U producers, highlighted by a 24-point, four-triple effort during the live period and a 31-point outburst the weekend after. His 3-point shot is more consistent and that’s allowing him to be even more dangerous inside the paint, where he’s showing his ability to play off the dribble, attack closeouts and finish well around the rim and through contact. He picked up a Div. 1 offer from Milwaukee following the live period.
Declan Griffiths, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2027, 6-7 wing
Newman/Simsbury, Conn.
Griffiths is experiencing a grassroots season similar in the mold of his Magic predecessors Quinn Costello and Ryder Frost. He’s still one of the best 3-point shooting prospects in the country, but we’re seeing the expansion of his game in everything else that’s been the driving force of his breakout spring. His motor, his increased physicality, rebounding and defending have all taken leaps, and coach Michael Crotty remarked that he’s consistently playing hard throughout every game. Griffiths earned an invite to NBPA Top 100 camp and he’s continuing to rack up Division 1 offers, the latest from Boston College and St. Bonaventure.
Q&A: Declan Griffiths on goals for 2026 spring, looking ahead to joining Newman
DJ Hawkins, BABC
Class of 2027, 6-8 wing
St. Thomas More/Farmington, Conn.
Everything remains going in the right direction for Hawkins, who earned an invite to NBPA Top 100 camp and has been among the best performers on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds and two assists per game during the live period – including a 24-point, 10-rebound effort – to make the All-Circuit third team, and he’s averaging 14.4 points per game on 46.2 percent from the field overall in circuit play. I also witnessed his 34-point explosion locally at New England Jam Fest.
Keyshon Joyner, Team New England
Class of 2027, 5-11 guard
MacDuffie/Worcester, Mass.
Joyner joined Team New England mid-spring and has been something of a missing piece for the Puma Pro16 outfit. He’s been a steady presence at point guard, an impressive shotmaker and knockdown 3-point shooter and a physically tough guard who gets into the paint and makes plays for himself and others. He’s been able to play well off of fellow guards Kyle Delves and Anthony Vick, and his feel as the lead guard and ability to orchestrate offenses continues to be at a high level. He earned his first two Div. 1 offers from Gardner-Webb and Grambling State.
PROSPECT WATCH: Why Keyshon Joyner is one of New England's best 2027 guards
Chase Leonardo, Team Northeast
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
Cheshire/Rochester, N.Y.
Leonardo was actually Cheshire’s leading scorer in the Class AA championship game; he was a key member of the Cats’ breakout spring and he has carried that momentum to the grassroots season. He’s been one of the best shooters in the region, capable of hitting off the catch or creating his own shots, and he’s been efficient, too. He averaged 15 points, 5.3 rebounds, three assists and three steals while shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range during the live period. He’s hearing from high-academic schools at every level.
Marlon Martinez, Rhode Island Elite
Class of 2027, 6-6 guard
Academy of Central Florida/Bronx, N.Y.
Martinez could be one of the hottest stock risers in the country at the pace he’s going, with recent offers from Loyola Chicago, Tulsa, Oregon State, Rutgers and Saint Louis stacking on to his Div. 1 offer sheet. He’s a true three-level scorer with a big frame and he’s continuing to evolve as a versatile defender and ball-handling playmaker for teammates.
Philipe Ndong, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2027, 6-9 wing
Newman/Denver, Col.
Ndong was under the radar entering the spring after spending the winter mostly on Newman’s prep team, but he earned a place on Crotty’s top 17U team and shown a bunch of flashes of why he’s one of the most intriguing prospects in the region right now. An elite shotmaker with a soft touch, Ndong is a long wing with great mobility and possesses the ability to create off the dribble. He’s earned offers from Ball State, Boston University and Iona and there’s certainly potential for higher levels of recruitment as he continues to build strength and gets more acclimated to physicality. Ndong could be a really special prospect if and when he puts it all together.
Malachi Odugbela, BABC
Class of 2028, 6-6 guard
St. Andrew’s/Providence, R.I.
Odugbela is starting to play himself into national recognition and high-major recruiting interest as one of the best and most consistent scorers and playmakers on the Adidas circuit. A difficult cover as a 6-foot-6 lead guard, the St. Andrew’s sophomore ranks eighth in scoring among 16U Adidas players at 17.9 points per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and dishing out 1.8 assists per game. He’s playing with a high level of confidence through the first half of the grassroots season.
Antonio Pemberton, Mass Rivals
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
Masters Academy International/Lawrence, Mass.
It sounds like a broken record, but Pemberton continues to be one of the most dynamic offensive talents in the country with his shotmaking ability; his ability to get to any spot on the floor and make any type of shot makes him unique. He ranks fourth on the Adidas circuit with 19.8 points per game through the May live period, which includes a 28-point, six-assist effort vs. Team Loaded in April. Coach Vin Pastore has also loved the way Pemberton has continued to evolve as a leader for a young Rivals group that holds a 5-3 record to start circuit play. He earned an invite to the NBPA Top 100 camp and has added offers from Providence, Creighton, Boston College, Notre Dame, Xavier and Tennessee this spring.
Derek Swartz, Mass Rivals
Class of 2028, 6-5 guard
Portsmouth High School/Portsmouth, N.H.
It might be hard to believe, but Swartz just turned 16 years old in February. He’s looked like a seasoned pro on the Adidas circuit while playing a grade up; he ranks 25th in 17U with 15.9 points per game through eight games, which includes a 28-point, eight-rebound, four-steal game vs. the Atlanta Celtics, and he’s been efficient while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from 3. He earned an offer from Marquette following the May live period to add to his growing list of high-major suitors.
Jonathan White Jr., NJ Scholars
Class of 2027, 5-9 guard
BB&N/Arlington, Mass.
White Jr. is having a true breakout spring as the second-leading scorer on EYCL’s 17U circuit through three sessions. He’s averaging 26.5 points per game, including two games of 40 or more points. He’s also shooting 50.6 percent from 3-point range on 6.8 attempts per game while providing 5.7 assists, 5.5 rebounds and three steals per game. He was getting low-major Division 1 interest last season and these performances should be getting him more attention.
Honorable mentions
Expressions Elite 2027 guard Josiah Adamson (Boston, Mass.) has picked up new Division 1 offers from East Carolina and Towson while averaging 11.4 points per game through circuit play. …
Middlesex Magic’s 2027 guard tandem Malik Adamson (Dorchester, Mass.) and Dillon Callahan have been backcourt stock risers. Adamson – who picked up his first Div. 1 offer from Siena – has been steady at point guard and showcased a more consistent 3-point stroke. Callahan has earned four Div. 1 offers from Oral Roberts, Siena, Iona and Tennessee Tech while providing elite defense. …
House We Built 2027 wing Caleb Baker (Whitman, Mass.) has been terrific in his new role as a lead scoring option and averaged 21.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during the Hoop Group live period. He’s receiving high-academic low-major Div. 1 interest. …
Team White Mamba 2027 guard Dom Taylor (Somerset, Mass.), who’s playing at St. Andrew’s next season, is averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals per game while shooting 44 percent from 3 on the MADE Hoops circuit. He’s considered one of the best defenders on the circuit and is receiving Div. 2 interest as of now. …
Rhode Island Elite 2027 guard Tavin Penix, a starter at Winchendon, grabbed an offer from Iona in late April and has been one of the best shooters in New England this spring, shooting nearly 50 percent from 3 and emerging into a lockdown defender. ...
BCRI has boasted a handful of 2027 standouts this spring, including Donovan Clement (Pawtucket, R.I.), who picked up a Division 1 offer from Holy Cross, in addition to guards Jaylen Edmonds (Providence, R.I.) and Julien Price.
