As we enter the summer, the Class of 2025 is the next to take center stage.
But this class has already been on our radar for a while. It is so loaded, one of the most impressive classes I’ve seen in recent years. The New England 2025 class has two nationally-ranked phenoms, some Power Five-caliber stars behind them, and dozens more who will contribute on college teams.
Playmaking guards, scoring wings, perimeter sharpshooters, dominant post players — this class has it all, at both the prep and public high school levels.
There are several players receiving Division 1 offers who don’t even make this list, plus many more who will go on to succeed at all levels. These 10 names are not definitively ranked, but if you’re looking to understand the spread of basketball talent in New England, this is where you should start.
Kate Allard
Bedford/New England Crusaders, 6-2 forward
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
Allard has a somewhat unorthodox shooting form where she starts with the ball down near her right hip and keeps it on the right side of her body throughout the entire shot. It’s clearly working for her; she rained three-pointers from all around the arc as she helped Bedford to an undefeated season and an NHIAA state championship. Allard’s jump shot is her calling card, but she’ll also confidently drive against smaller opponents. Her list of offers includes Seton Hall, Davidson and several Ivy League schools, among others.
Kaelyn Carroll
Tabor/Bay State Jaguars, 6-2 forward
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
What separates Carroll from her tall peers, and what ultimately has her ranked 29th in the country by ESPN, is that she’s much more than a stretch forward. Sure, she can drill shots off the catch, but she’s also a dangerous pull-up scorer behind the arc, capable of crossing over and stepping back into a three or firing up a quick shot out of a handoff. Carroll has a remarkable handle at her size and can comfortably take the ball inside to score. Bottom line: matchup nightmare.
Kat Cheesebro
Dartmouth/Honey Badgers, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Dartmouth, Mass.
Cheesebro is arguably the top returning player in the MIAA. She dominated last year, averaging 27.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3 steals per game. Cheesebro’s straight-line speed sets her apart driving to the basket, and she loves to use hesitation moves and then attack space. She also has some impressive body control, can pull up for tough floaters and mid-range buckets and is a weapon in transition as a scorer or passer.
Jasmyn Cooper
Nobles/MCW Starz, 6-1 wing
Hometown: Easton, Mass.
Cooper is ranked 54th nationally by ESPN because she’s the ultimate glue player. Need a point-of-attack defender? Cooper excelled against Orlagh Gormley and Ahnay Adams, two of the best point guards in the region last year, in a two-day span that helped Nobles win the NEPSAC AA title. Need a shotmaker and playmaker? She’s got smooth form off the catch, cerebral court vision and an underrated handle. Yet she’s also 6-1 with a strong frame that can overpower opponents. Cooper has won an MIAA championship at Oliver Ames and two NEPSAC crowns at Nobles. She embodies a winning impact.
Ashley Dinges
Nobles/MCW Starz, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
Dinges, who plays both prep school and AAU ball with Cooper, complements her teammate’s smooth game with ferocity. She’s a monster rebounder and interior scorer who embraces contact. Dinges is also a dangerous perimeter shooter, which opens up even more opportunities for power drives, and she does a good job moving without the basketball.
Natalia Hall-Rosa
Rivers/Bay State Jaguars, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Randolph, Mass.
Hall-Rosa’s bucket-getting game is an elite intersection of size and skill. She’s strong and powerful, but has mastered an array of dribble moves and finishes to break down defenders. Hall-Rosa has evolved into a knockdown shooter off the catch and off the bounce, making her one of the more unstoppable scorers in the class. She has more than 20 Division 1 offers and counting.
Alicia Mitchell
Loomis Chaffee/iDream, 6-4 post
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Mitchell won a Mass. state championship at Springfield International Charter two years ago and led Loomis Chaffee to the NEPSAC Class A title last season. Coach Adrian Stewart praised Mitchell’s selflessness and work ethic without seeking the spotlight, even though she’s garnering high-major offers from places like Cincinnati and Memphis. Mitchell has natural touch that helps her finish off most shots around the basket and stretch her game out to the mid-range. She’s also a defensive anchor with her length and mobility at her size. Mitchell averaged 13.5 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks in her first season in NEPSAC, hinting at big things to come.
Camdyn Nelson
St. Luke’s/Empire Blue Flames, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.
Nelson is already committed to Syracuse, where she’ll eventually battle older sister Mackenzie and Virginia Tech in the ACC. Like her sister, Nelson is a blur attacking the rim with a combination of explosiveness and quick dribble moves in tight spaces. She can rip through contact to finish tough shots, and she makes some high-level passes off the dribble. Nelson won NEPSAC Class B Player of the Year last season, racking up 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game.
Christina Pham
Nobles/Shooting Touch, 5-7 guard
Hometown: South Boston, Mass.
Any discussion about the best shooter in New England must start with Pham, who won the 2023 A Shot For Life Challenge. She’s deadly accurate with a lightning-quick release. At Nobles, Pham flies around screens and relocates into open space for catch-and-shoot threes. During the AAU season, we see a bit more of her pull-up scoring and driving game as the lead option. Either way, she requires constant attention from opposing defenses.
Colleen Phiri
Tilton/Rivals, 5-11 wing
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
I appreciate Phiri’s consistent elite effort both on the boards and on defense. She’s a physical player by nature, but moves well, which allows her to guard up and down most of the lineup. Phiri capably knocks down threes and has some punch as a driving scorer. She’s one of the top players in the Rivals program right now and a cornerstone for Tilton as it seeks a return trip to the NEPSAC AA final.
Five more names to know
Ava Black (Tabor), Bailey Breen (Oceanside, Maine), Maysen Hill (St. Andrew’s), Grace O’Sullivan (Rivers), Olivia Rodrigues (Tabor)
