Most Intriguing Teams: 802 D1 Selection – Burlington H.S.
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I’m going through D1-D4 and looking at the most interesting teams therein! They won’t necessarily be the favorite to win the title, but they’ll feature exciting young players, fascinating collections of talent, and so on. The season is right around…
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Continue ReadingI’m going through D1-D4 and looking at the most interesting teams therein! They won’t necessarily be the favorite to win the title, but they’ll feature exciting young players, fascinating collections of talent, and so on. The season is right around the corner so let’s dive in!
Up first: Burlington High School
If you know VT hoops, you know Rice Memorial H.S. has long been a place where students transfer to get the most out of their HS hoop career, and BHS has lost out on some of their best talent over the years. Well, tides have turned, and with two Burlington locals returning to BHS after heading to Rice, BHS is back on the map.
Atika Haji Atika Haji 5'10" | SG Rice Memorial | 2025 State New E , a 5’10 G/W with championship experience and a lethal scoring package rejoins 5’7 PG Bree McDonald Bree McDonald 5'6" | PG Burlington | 2025 State New E , one of the best scorers in the state herself and former middle school running mate. Haji shoots the 3 well, slashes with force and agility, and in turn, causes tough defensive rotations. The two together bring a dynamic scoring threat to the floor.
Moreover, Rosa Kori Rosa Kori 5'10" | PF Rice Memorial | 2026 State New E , a 5’10 W/F, also returns to BHS. She was a key contributor to last year’s Rice squad and solidified herself as a strong defender, active rebounder, and offensive connector. Nylah Mitchell Nylah Mitchell 5'8" | PF Burlington HighSchool | 2025 State New E , a 5’10 W/F whose post-game glues everything together, provides that inside/out touch with her high-IQ, connective facilitation around the paint. That ought to grease the wheels between two ball dominant perimeter players.
Going further, their perimeter depth is considerable with 5’5 G Dieuna Beynonn Dieuna Beynonn 5'5" | PG Burlington | 2026 State New E , a 2026 who proved her mettle last year with sound orchestration, defensive savvy, and improved off-ball play. Along with Hawa Mubarak Hawa Mubarak 5'9" | SF Burlington | 2025 State New E , a 5’9 G/W who does the dirty work, defends multiple positions, makes hustle plays, attacks the rim, and so on. Plus, they have some 2027 guards in Emma Maley and Mae Yenkavitch who I could see landing on Varsity. Maybe they’ll play half and half, considering the already thorough guard depth and ability to develop at the JV level.
The biggest question the Seahorses have to consider is their size and rebounding. Nylah Mitchell Nylah Mitchell 5'8" | PF Burlington HighSchool | 2025 State New E will supply that interior effort, Rosa Kori Rosa Kori 5'10" | PF Rice Memorial | 2026 State New E , and 5’9 W/F Sienna Pitts too, who both use their frame well to get physical and attack the glass. But they have no six-footers, and all but Nylah tend to play perimeter ball.
All being said, BHS has some serious firepower with Bree and Atika creating and Nylah connecting + scoring it efficiently. Rosa’s slashing sharpened alongside a shot which began to show promise over the course of last year and this spring/summer. Plus, Dieuna has the ability to run the second unit, turn defense to offense, providing a spark in an offense that’ll take time to gel. Their ceiling is high, but it’ll take time to build up to their peak.