When New England Basketball Journal launched in July, we opened with watch lists for the 2025 and 2026 high school classes.
Now, after watching a summer of basketball and gathering observations, we’re starting the school year with our first watch list for the Class of 2027.
Full disclosure: It was tough to pick 10 names and even five honorable mentions. It’s still early for this class, and players are at different stages of their own development. Missing out on this list doesn’t mean a prospect is behind on their growth — there are still multiple years of high school and travel ball left to make an impression.
That said, I’m confident that these players are on track to be impactful college-bound talents. In addition to passing the eye test, they have all produced at a high level, either as freshmen or as sophomores prior to reclassifying. There are a couple of prospects I’m higher on than consensus, and I’m not afraid to include them. Let’s get to the names.
Naya Annigeri
Medfield/Bay State Jaguars, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Only one player on this list can say she was the leading scorer on her team in a state/class title game as a freshman. Annigeri’s 16-point effort against a stingy Worcester South team in last year’s Div. 2 final was eye-opening, and it came at the pinnacle of a breakout freshman year where she averaged 13.7 points and 2.7 steals while drilling more than 40 percent of her 3-pointers.
I’ll plant my flag with Annigeri as a prospect who deserves more attention. She’s a prolific shooter off the catch who can also drive the ball hard and finish, and her anticipatory skills on defense helped spark countless Medfield fast-break scores. Annigeri was a true first-year high school player last season, so a year of experience should be huge for her.
Tiffany Burns
Austin Prep/Rivals, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Methuen, Mass.
The most explosive athlete on this list might be Burns. She changes speeds in a snap with her package of dribble moves and quick first step. If she didn’t already blow by the defender, Burns is fully capable of throwing a flashy outlet pass or finishing a layup through contact. Burns averaged 16.5 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds during Austin Prep’s second NEPSAC season, and her star could take off as she and Austin Prep continue acclimating to the league.
More watch lists:Â 2025 girls | 2026 girls
Javonah 'Juice' Coston
Beaver Country Day/Dana Barros Elite, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
Coston earned All-NEPSAC recognition in her first year at Beaver Country Day while averaging 11 points and helping her team reach the Class B final. She still feels like an under-the-radar prospect. When I watched Coston on the travel circuit earlier this spring, she popped as a guard who can create her own shot with different finishing moves and a comfortable mid-range jumper. She also made a few high-level passing reads.
Coston has always looked comfortable playing above her age. She led Tech Boston to a Boston City League championship as a freshman in 2022-23 before reclassifying and repeating her freshman year at Beaver. As she gets older, that innate poise will shine.
Jacylah ‘LaLa’ Goode
Greens Farms Academy/Exodus, 6-0 guard/forward
Hometown: Derby, Conn.
Goode picked up an offer from Providence last month, underscoring a standout summer from the lefty wing. She’s strong and eager to back down defenders in the post, but can also blow by them on a drive, and has a go-to spin move that she uses effectively. Goode’s jumper also looks quick, smooth and repeatable. At the prep school level, a 6-footer with this type of scoring versatility is tough to contain.
Corinne Lomax
Tabor/Rivals, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Watertown, Conn.
Lomax is one of the higher-profile reclassifying transfers this season, joining Tabor after racking up 15 points and 12.5 rebounds per game at Holy Cross (Conn.) as a sophomore. Aside from the obvious rebounding prowess, Lomax is a hard-charging driver and finisher who seemed wholly unaffected by opposing physicality in CIAC play. She’s also nailed down these soft, off-balance floaters and has a dependable elbow jumper.
The size and speed of NEPSAC AA play will be an adjustment, but Lomax should carve out a role on a stacked Tabor team quickly. She landed offers from Xavier and Quinnipiac this grassroots season.
Gabby Middleton
Newman/Bay State Jaguars, 5-10 guard/forward
Hometown: Stoughton, Mass.
Middleton transfers to Newman’s upstart girls program after impressing at Dexter Southfield. She’s a physically strong player but leans more on craft to score, mixing in stepbacks, crossovers and off-ball relocation to create open looks. Middleton doesn’t need tons of touches to get going, as evidenced by some of her clutch buckets in Dexter Southfield’s narrow loss to Nobles in last year’s Class AA semifinals. She’s also improved from a fine ball-mover to someone who is passing her teammates open more frequently. I’ll be intrigued to see Middleton as a cornerstone player on her new team.
Alannah Morantus
Cushing/Shooting Touch, 5-11 guard
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Morantus has always impressed me with her patience. She rarely boxes herself into a bad spot dribbling the ball and doesn’t try to force shots, but with her handle and shooting consistency, she’ll find a way into a rhythm jumper. Morantus is also super strong, evidenced in both her tough driving layups and her ability to guard up the lineup and even frustrate some opposing post players. She has at least four Division 1 offers right now, which will certainly increase.
Anna Moser
Hoosac/NY Havoc, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Rutland, Vt.
In case you haven’t seen the three other times I’ve highlighted Moser this summer — her name has skyrocketed. The reigning Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year is reclassifying down and transferring to Hoosac, but she’s already put her name in the spotlight thanks to a statement stretch at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase in June. I saw firsthand Moser’s turbo drives, soft shooting touch and commitment to moving without the basketball. She’s going to make an impact in NEPSAC right away, and I can’t wait to see how.
Bella Owumi
St. Mary’s/MCW Starz, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Lynn, Mass.
Owumi is a two-time state champion with more than 700 career points — and she’s now a sophomore. The best college prospect in MIAA, Owumi added Miami and Louisville to the list of offers she first started compiling as a rising eighth-grader.
Her basketball development is fascinating. Owumi initially put herself in the Spartans’ starting lineup (and on college radars) as a seventh-grader with her defense. She is long and fast with superb instincts, and has added strength over the years. Owumi was thrust into the fire as a lead scoring option as a freshman, and though she wasn’t perfect, she made clear progress reading the floor and making smart decisions. Expect another big step forward this winter.
Lucianna Parrotta
Sacred Heart Greenwich/Northeast Elite, 6-0 guard/forward
Hometown: Armonk, N.Y.
Parrotta is not from New England, but she plays on a New England NEPSAC team and is worth highlighting as a NEPSAC Class A All-Star from last season. Parrotta also competed on the Puerto Rico U17 national team in this summer’s FIBA U17 World Cup. She’s another versatile talent; Sacred Heart used her as a roller at times, a spot-up shooter, post playmaker and driving threat. Parrotta also is active with her hands at the top of the defense. She has offers from Hofstra and UNH.
Five more standouts to watch: Gracyn Barnes (Worcester Academy), Mel McCarthy (Bedford), Story Victory Moore (Tilton), Payton Scurry (St. George’s), Casey Stores (New Hampton)
