The Top 5 Freshmen Forwards Coming Into This Season

With the 2028 rankings dropping yesterday, this is an ideal time to discuss the best forwards in the region coming into the 2024-2025 season. The 2028 class is packed with powerful standout type players and the small forwards along with power forwards help elevate the class with their stellar talents. The standings below are the pick of the litter when it comes to the position. These are 5 of the top forwards in the class.      [player_tooltip player_id='975778' first='Aliyah' last='Allston-Pujols'] (2028) | 5'10 SF | Nobles & Greenough   Aliyah is coming into the season as the third best player in the entire class this year. Her smooth game consisting of advanced skill and physical attributes put her at the top of the list. The rising freshman has experience playing on a championship NEPSAC team. She contributed valuable minutes on a squad that was flooded with talent. Aliyah's physical gifts allow her play multiple positions at a high level. Her strength and speed truly make her a mismatch for most opponents. She has a silky jump shot that falls effortlessly, but doesn't overly rely on it to be impactful. Transition is an area where Aliyah really shines. When she gets the ball in the open court, look out! Coast-to-coast athletic takes are somewhat normal. The offensive rebounding Aliyah provides is top tier for the position. Allston-Pujols' skillset translates to the defensive side as well. She's a tremendous rebounder and can cover the quick twitchier perimeter players or hold her own on the block. Allston-Pujols will come into the season looking to cement a legacy and hopefully become a repeat champion.     [player_tooltip player_id='975781' first='Maya' last='Najjar'] (2028) | SF | Methuen |   [player_tooltip player_id='975781' first='Maya' last='Najjar'] is one of the best pure scoring threats with her unreal shooting ability. Not only does she knock down the consistent 3-pointer within the offense, but she possesses the rare skill of creating off the dribble and shooting with great range after a barrage of combo moves. The offensive package Najjar carries is one that could make even the best defenders feel defeated. Maya is using screens, rejecting screens and setting up defenders with rhythm dribbles leading to her sweet spots. The midrange is also an efficient shot for Najjar when she is coming down hill and stopping on a dime to pull up. Girls guarding her are typically attempting to crowd her space, but Najjar rarely seems affected by the agitation. Maya can rebound the ball well on the defensive side of the ball and looks to get her team into early offense. The Mass Rivals star is coming into her freshman season as the fifth best player in the '28 class for good reason.     [player_tooltip player_id='975863' first='Jhene' last='Fortunat'] (2028) | 6'2 PF | Lawrence Academy   One of the most intriguing prospects in the entire class, Fortunat is a player that has an extremely high upside. The 6'2 future star looks like a prototypical big due to her size, but her riveting footwork and finesse moves come to the surprise of many. Jhene offers some guard like moves in transition that amount to her getting to the rim with ease. Fortunat has a nice handle that is used effectively to bait most of the bigs that come out trying to guard her outside the paint. Jhene can extend her game with a solid 3-point shot that she confidently takes throughout games. As a defender, Fortunat brings that same versatility from offense to this side of the ball. She alters shots at the rim, boxes out and is a sound rebounder underneath. Jhene is a player with a tremendous amount of potential. NEPSAC will get a chance to see her this year playing with Lawrence Academy.     [player_tooltip player_id='903426' first='Alexa' last='Scaringello'] (2028) | 6'1 PF | St. Mark's   Alexa is a well-grounded big that does a little bit of everything on the floor. A beast on the strong side rebounds, Scaringello keeps plenty of possessions alive for her team. Alexa makes herself a big target on the block for her teammates to find. She does the early work and seals her defender without getting caught up fighting down low. The long arms of Alexa help with her finishing ability as well as cleaning up her own misses at the rim. Scaringello can step out to the 3-point line to knock down the stationary long jumper within the offense too. What makes her even more special is her ability to pass out the post and find teammates with the ball in her hand. Defensively, Alexa is a gamechanger. She can singlehandedly help contain the paint with her tremendous reactive skills. St. Mark's has a good talent on their hands for the next couple of years.     [player_tooltip player_id='975883' first='Kayla' last='Mouzon'] (2028) | SF | St. Luke's   Kayla is one of the more solid 2-way prospects at the position. The high energy SF beats defenders off the dribble with her imposing driving threats and can finish at a high level at the rim. Her driving attacks are calculated, yet the sheer athletic ability of Mouzon make her takes that much more impressive. She becomes a real threat with the ball in her hands, but also keeps wasteful dribbling to a minimum. Kayla happily spreads the ball around and is confident that she will get it back. As the defense rotates, she's able to find a lane suited for her. The self-assurance Kayla exudes will have her coach feeling confident in keeping this freshman in the game this year. Her defense has yet to be mentioned either. The long and athletic wing is all over the place on defensive side of things. She can guard multiple positions and her long arms combined with her fast feet make her quick to react to the ball. Mouzon is a defensive disrupter that will take the challenge against any player. St. Luke's has a great player coming into the season.

With the 2028 rankings dropping yesterday, this is an ideal time to discuss the best forwards in the region coming into the 2024-2025 season. The 2028 class is packed with powerful standout type players and the small forwards along with power forwards help elevate the class with their stellar talents. The standings below are the pick of the litter when it comes to the position. These are 5 of the top forwards in the class.