The Latest NEPSAC Recruiting Update Pt. 1

New England has plenty of premium talent in the region. Some of these programs in the area have provided an excellent basketball environment for the girls of New England. Whether its multiple practices throughout the week or program trips to enhance comradery, these teams have contributed immensely to these girls' achievements. Between conference play and AAU they have been provided with the necessary platform and tools to be successful. Some of these teams have been dominating the local scene for years. More recently some have taken more of a national schedule to further their opportunities. There's no wonder why some of the top college and universities in the country have their eyes glued on prospects from the area. New England has become a hub with resources for elite talent in the country and the 6 players below are some of the more recent reports from recruitment news so far this summer.    [player_tooltip player_id='975744' first='Ella' last='Pepper'] (2028) | 6'4 F/C | Bay State Jaguars   Ella is a jewel of a prospect. Although very young, her game is already easily transferable to the next level. She has everything a forward and center need in today's game. An excellent shot-blocker that moves her feet well laterally, a soft touch around the rim and effective shooting from long range are just the tip of the iceberg with Pepper. She has enough finesse, touch, and coordination that typical bigs can't stop her innate abilities, yet enough strength in addition to her explosiveness that allow her to overpower smaller competition. At 6'4 it is very impressive to see Ella's ability to protect the rim at a high level. She loves to block shots at its peak height, but can also play vertical to just deter shots. Her imposing defensive recovery skills make Pepper truly standout. She can make up for plenty of defensive lapses on the floor and she is the ultimate defensive safety net. Complete schemes can be tailored around Pepper's talents on defense and she can completely change the direction of a game. Ella may currently be one of the highest touted 2028 prospect in New England outside of her teammate. She just recently received offers from schools like Michigan and Florida State.     [player_tooltip player_id='340831' first='Avery' last='Bollin'] (2028) | 6'3 PF/C | Bay State Jaguars   Arguably the best skilled big in her class at the moment. Bollin edges the slight edge over her elite competition due to her ability to create for herself in the half court. Avery is a strong, heavy-hitting big that is versatile enough to excel in any style of basketball game. It's hard to shut Bollin off from getting into her rhythm. She gets quality looks at just about every spot she would like in the course of the game. Bollin looks smooth in half court sets and she is one of the first options when the play is developed. Very patient, but she does have plenty of moves down low and a counter to go with each of them. Great pivots and nice footwork. Bollin has an excellent pump-fake that opens up driving lanes after she's knocked down a couple long range jumpers. Skilled with either hand and forces contact on the way to the basket. Her athleticism makes her trouble in transition too. She can put the ball on the floor and put defenders on her hip on the way to the basket. Avery is a coach's dream on defense. She meets players outside the lane which alters driving angles. Bollin has exceptional timing and that also forces girls driving into the lane to think twice when laying the ball up after getting by their initial defender.   Bollin has offers from Michigan State, Purdue, Providence and Penn State and a few others. Avery will receive plenty more offers, her potential mixed with the skillset already are through the roof.     [player_tooltip player_id='998269' first='Fope' last='Ayo'] (2026) | 6'3 Center | Lady Rivals   Fope makes her presence known when on the floor. An absolute game-changer on the defensive side of things. Ayo is a strong-bodied big that uses power to dominate. She has a long wingspan and active hands. She deters offensive players from taking shots at the rim due to her impressive shot blocking ability. Ayo's command over the offensive and defensive glass are just another reason why she is currently receiving offers from Big East, SEC and ACC schools. This live period has been very helpful in the development of Fope's game and this upcoming year will be her first year playing in NEPSAC. After successful showings on the circuit in Texas and Atlantic City, Ayo has picked up offers from schools like Louisville, SMU, FSU, Miami and many others. Her ceiling is high and she has barely scratched the surface of the type of prospect she can be. The ESPN Top 100 player should be picking up a bunch of other offers by the end of the summer at the rate she is going.     [player_tooltip player_id='288652' first='Elyse' last='Ngenda'] (2026) | 5'8 SG | Lady Rivals   Elyse has racked up a few offers this summer already. Some of them include: Umass, UMaine, Bryant, Wisconsin, URI and Sienna. Ngenda has a silky-smooth shot and is tenacious on ball defender. At the next level she has potential to be more than the typical 3 and D type of player because of her ability to cut, rebound and push the pace. Ngenda showed her ability to dominate all year, but this summer circuit with the Rivals has done wonders for her game. Her polished shooting skills allow for her midrange and driving lanes to open up more. A fearless attacker when driving, expect Elyse to draw contact on her way to the rim. Ngenda makes getting tough baskets look easy, but combing that with her defensive capabilities makes her an elite talent. A rare and efficient bucket getter that can turn around and guard 90 feet away from the basket. Elyse never takes a play off on defense while also snatching a few boards up amongst the tallest of the bigs. Ngenda is very intriguing talent that will surely pick up more big-time schools shortly.     [player_tooltip player_id='273929' first='Christina' last='Pham'] (2025) | 5'7 PG | Shooting Touch   Christina is fresh off offers from schools like William & Mary and Providence College. Pham was a recent standout at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase and was playing well in front of dozens of mid-major and big time Division I schools. Christina is a 3-level scorer that plays with great flare, while still staying under composure and has great facilitation skills. When the play breaks down, expect Pham to use her stellar handling to create for herself and others. Pham can shoot from anywhere on the floor, but doesn't require an abundance of shots to be effective. On the defensive end, Christina takes on the competition head on. She does a great job funneling defenders to the sidelines and cutting off angles to the basket. She loves pestering ball handlers to come up with steals so she can get easy points on the other end. Pham is a great leader that will be the floor general of an esteemed university soon. Anticipate Pham to gather more offers in the very near future.     [player_tooltip player_id='496137' first='Isabelle' last='Adams'] | 5'6 SG | MCWSTARZ   Adams is a sharpshooter with some intriguing in between scoring capabilities and a nice touch around the rim. Isabelle is a sniper that can shoot the ball coming off down screens, flares and even a 3-point threat option using the pick & roll. She shoots the ball swiftly, with minimum wasted motion. Adams shows some interesting scoring skills when in semi transition or "end of clock" plays when the game speeds up a bit. Isabelle has a great burst of speed that allows her to keep defenders on her side and she finds herself making tough floaters with defenders draped on her regularly. She has a nice soft touch after drawing contact. When the lane opens up, Adams can navigate through tight spaces and can find open teammates. Her skillset can be of interest to a good number of high-level schools. Currently Adams has offers from Le Moyne and Harvard.

New England has plenty of premium talent in the region. Some of these programs in the area have provided an excellent basketball environment for the girls of New England. Whether its multiple practices throughout the week or program trips to enhance comradery, these teams have contributed immensely to these girls' achievements. Between conference play and AAU they have been provided with the necessary platform and tools to be successful. Some of these teams have been dominating the local scene for years. More recently some have taken more of a national schedule to further their opportunities. There's no wonder why some of the top college and universities in the country have their eyes glued on prospects from the area. New England has become a hub with resources for elite talent in the country and the 6 players below are some of the more recent reports from recruitment news so far this summer.