The 2025 class is in the books and off to college. Now, the spotlight is firmly on New England’s star-studded 2026 class.
It’s time to reveal our latest watch list for the 2026 class, which identifies our top 10 college prospects among the region’s rising seniors. This class is loaded at the top, with a handful of recruits who we’ve watched develop into high-major talents in our backyard over the last few years.
When we released our first 2026 watch list last summer for the launch of New England Basketball Journal, I didn’t have a deep catalog of scouting notes yet. But after a full season of watching them, I have a better handle of the region. Five names remain from last summer’s watch list, and there are a few new names who made the cut after strong debut seasons playing in NEPSAC. Still, this list was difficult to narrow to 10; there were close to 20 names who were under strong consideration. But each of these players are undoubtedly Division 1-level prospects.
A quick explainer on how I determine our watch lists: While there’s no perfect formula, I look for consistency and winning impact as the greatest predictors of success at the next level. Physical tools, transferable skills and even intangibles like leadership, toughness and work ethic all factor into the equation, too. The best prospects put all of these components together on the court.
