If I could describe the top of the 2026 class in one word, it’d be — versatile.
The best players in this class can fit a variety of roles on both offense and defense.
Some are scorers who can make high-level passes off the dribble, or vice versa. Others are multi-positional defenders, and some have prolific two-way impact.
Here’s a list of 10 must-watch talents.
Izzy Adams
Dexter Southfield/MCW Starz, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
Adams is one of the most entertaining guards in the region, a true highlight-reel playmaker who can break out some mind-blowing passes. That fits right in as she joins MCW Starz and Dexter Southfield this year, replacing star point guard Orlagh Gormley on both teams. Last year at Walpole, Adams averaged 22 points and stepped up in a big way as a three-level scorer. She reclassified to 2026 and is immediately a leader in the class.
Fope Ayo
Austin Prep/Rivals, 6-4 post
Hometown: Methuen, Mass.
Rivals has a few awesome 2026 players you’ll see on this list. We start with the lefty Ayo, a fearsome shot-blocker and defensive menace. She’s picking up offers from programs like Virginia Tech and Kansas because she’s long, strong, and great at keeping her hands high and maximizing her reach on shot contests. Ayo is also a quality interior scorer and there’s still some untapped offensive upside.
Lauren Bousquet
Moses Brown/Mass Huskies, 5-10 forward
Hometown: West Warwick, R.I.
A state champion and 1,000-point scorer as a sophomore? Bousquet owned Rhode Island last year to the tune of 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. She’s truly a power forward, often outmuscling opponents on drives to the basket and second-chance opportunities. Bousquet also has spin moves she can go to and great touch out to the mid-range areas.
Bela Cucuta
Tilton/iBelieve Elite, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Newington. Conn.
Cucuta made the move to NEPSAC after wowing at Newington, where she averaged 21.2 points per game as a junior before reclassifying. Her range is ridiculous, both on pull-up jumpers and off the catch, and she has a sweet high-arcing shot. She’s also a strong finisher through contact and adept at runners. Cucuta can change pace and direction to keep a defense off balance.
Serenity Lancaster
New Hampton/Connecticut Basketball Club, 6-1 forward
Hometown: New London, Conn.
Lancaster demolished CIAC hoops last year to the tune of 22 points, 13 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3.3 blocks per game. She can back defenders down in the post and get to the turnaround jumper, or step out for threes — an extremely tough cover on offense. It’s common to see Lancaster get a rotation block or steal and take the ball coast-to-coast for a layup. She’s holding a handful of Div. 1 offers from schools like St. Joseph’s and Seton Hall, and joins New Hampton next season after reclassifying to 2026.
Elyse Ngenda
New Hampton/Rivals, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
Ngenda does a bit of everything. She averaged 15 points per game for New Hampton last year and led the team in rebounds, assists and steals. She’s comfortable probing the defense and taking her time to find pockets of weakness, and shows some real confidence navigating the baselines. When Ngenda finds space, she’ll pull up for an easy shot, or wait for the defense to collapse before passing out. Her overall poise with the ball is impressive.
Selah Prignano
Wilbraham and Monson/iBelieve Elite, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Newington, Conn.
Prignano just picked up her first Division 1 offers from a list of schools that includes Stony Brook and Northeastern. She won NEPSAC Class C Defensive Player of the Year in her first season with the Titans, tallying 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3.5 steals per game. Prignano’s effort and activity level on defense make her a pest, and she’s also got solid shooting touch in the mid-range and stretching out behind the arc.
Caterina Ravosa
Wilbraham and Monson/Exodus, 6-2 post
Hometown: East Longmeadow, Mass.
Ravosa posted 19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and a block per game for Wilbraham and Monson last year. Her list of offers includes Northwestern, BC, Columbia and Fairfield, among many others. Ravosa has always been a prolific three-point shooter, but when she arrived at W&M in seventh grade, coach Durelle Brown got to work with her on adding a back-to-the-basket game. She’s now tough to stop in the post, too, with a mix of power and crafty footwork.
Jaelynn Scott
Wachusett/Bay State Jaguars, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Wachusett, Mass.
On last year’s Wachusett team with seven seniors, Scott emerged as a sophomore cornerstone. She averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks in the Mountaineers’ first run to the MIAA Division 1 final. Scott’s combination of length and movement skills helps her lock opponents up one-on-one and be a ferocious help defender. She’s also become a confident scorer who can attack open space and finish around the basket.
Summer Warren
Brooks/Rivals, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Holbrook, Mass.
The hard cuts and movement without the ball popped to me with Warren. She has great hands and signals for the ball early, and then uses her strong frame to finish inside at a high clip. Warren will also use power dribbles to back players down and can drive from the perimeter as well. She was a NEPSAC Class B All-Star for Brooks as a sophomore.
Five more names to know
Molly Corcoran (Tabor), Olivia Fleming (Northfield Mount Hermon), Izzy Kittredge (Medfield), Brooke Nunnally-Gardner (Dexter Southfield), Keyona Raines (Cathedral)
