ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Throughout the Atlantic City Showcase, I saw a lot of ankle braces, ice packs and tape. At major live period events like these, players naturally know to leave it all out on the court.
It's a grueling stretch of four games in three days — and one theme you'll see from the below 2028 standouts is that everyone played with a competitive edge.
I had a blast watching roughly 23 hours of quality basketball. Many of these current sophomores are already stars on their high school teams. But what happens when they play on a grassroots team surrounded by talent? How can they impact winning in a role? It's a question I love to think about when looking at college potential.
Here are 12 players who popped to me in the 2028 class. A reminder that I didn't see close to everything, as explained in our 2027 standouts. But I got a refreshing view on talent ranging from high-major futures to Division 3.
Zaida Aponte, BCRI 17U
5-2 guard
Rogers/Newport, R.I.
If you’re a small lead guard, one of the most important prospect traits is an ability to get to the paint and make plays from there. Aponte has shown she can shake defenders with speed and a crafty handle, and she pressures the paint against most of her competition, even playing up a year. I appreciated how Aponte mixed her scoring and drive-and-kick decisions to keep defenses honest. She’s newer to my radar in the last two months, but I’ve liked her game a lot and want to keep watching.
Kayla Dunlap, Bay State Jaguars UAA 16U
6-0 forward
Natick/Natick, Mass.
In the 16U UAA Jags’ super fun, all-wing-ish starting five, Dunlap often gets some of the post-player-esque tasks. I think she handled those responsibilities admirably in a competitive Saturday loss to Team Northeast. Dunlap works hard on the boards and has the length and leaping athleticism to win there. She backed down a couple of post mismatches against guards for strong layups. Dunlap added a block at the rim, set screens and made smart cuts. Her effort and willingness to fill these roles will only grow more valuable as Dunlap gets stronger.
Zuri Faison, Pivot Elite 17U
6-0 wing
Greenwich/Greenwich, Conn.
I specifically made time for Pivot Elite and my first in-person watch of Faison, a recent CIAC state champion at Greenwich. She must have grabbed close to 15 rebounds in Friday's game. Faison has super long arms and easily outleaped her competition. Faison was quieter offensively when I watched, but she did hit a corner 3 and showed good touch scoring around the basket. I understand the hype with Faison as a potential breakout star in her class; her athletic traits are special.
Mila Harmon, CBC New Haven 17U
6-0 center
Kent/Trumbull, Conn.
Harmon was the most reliable offensive presence in CBC New Haven’s Saturday morning win against Northeast Revolt United. She’s a smart, fundamentally-sound center who knows where to position herself in the paint. I liked a few of Harmon’s power drives and post moves. I had previously thought of Harmon as strictly a paint scorer, but I want to give her credit for a smooth baseline jumper and a made corner 3. Harmon is transferring from CIAC power Sacred Heart Academy and reclassifying.
Carolyn Joo, CBC Fairfield 17U
5-8 guard
King/Ridgefield, Conn.
Joo has played up on CBC for a while and looks confident running point by now. She sees the floor at a high level and defends the perimeter hard. In this game, Joo impressed me most with a couple of very difficult 3-point makes on the move. She can maintain her balance and still look comfortable firing away. Joo carries such a scoring burden when she plays at King, so it was a neat contrast to watch her succeed around other area stars on her grassroots team.
Ayla Keefe, Bay State Jaguars UAA 16U
5-11 wing
Newman/Cave Creek, Ariz.
NCAA: Davidson
Saturday’s loss to Team Northeast was a classic Ayla Keefe game. We got a little bit of everything: a block and offensive rebound in the first two possessions, a few driving layups and Eurostep moves, great connective passing and a 3-ball. Keefe ended up with three blocks by my count, including a notable one closing out on a 3-point attempt. She’s so steady in finding ways to impact winning and fits well with the rest of her 16U team.
Juliet Laws, Mass Rivals 3SSB 16U
5-8 guard
Bedford/Bedford, N.H.
Laws isn’t a very flashy player and keeps her strengths straightforward. She’s so successful looking for paths to cut or drive, and then she just hits them repeatedly. Laws was relentless as a cutter Saturday against United NJ. She’s unfazed by contact, hitting a turnaround floater for an and-1 after a cut, and was backing down opposing guards as well. Laws attacks driving lanes often with simple crossovers; her speed off the dribble is underrated too.
Alannah Morantus, Mass Rivals 3SSB 17U
6-0 guard
Nobles/North Attleboro, Mass.
Morantus plays with unyielding force at her position, and it’s cool to see what that looks like against opponents outside New England. She fought for rebounds and bullied her way into the paint against Team Northeast on Saturday. Morantus also caught fire for three 3s in quick succession later in the game. I've said this several times before, but Morantus' blend of power and scoring skill are rare for her position in our region.
Shannon O'Leary, MCW Starz P24 16U
6-1 forward
New Hampton/Marshfield, Mass.
O'Leary cracks this standouts list because she showed me some different skill versus last time I wrote her up in April. I lauded O'Leary for her passing then, but when I watched her in New Jersey, she showed off her comfort shooting mid-range jumpers and even stepped out for a corner 3 Sunday against Comets UAA. O'Leary should feel confident that she can make a difference in multiple ways on offense, and she has good size and strength as a big who can stretch the floor a bit.
Gabby Ravosa, iBelieve Elite P24 16U
6-0 forward
Wilbraham & Monson/East Longmeadow, Mass.
Ravosa was quietly among my favorite players to watch on her 4-0 squad. She's one of the best defenders on the team, a long and mobile forward whose added strength helps her as iBelieve's primary rim-protector. Ravosa competes and wins a lot of rebounding battles, and she also sees the floor well. She's a very different player from her older sister, Fairfield-bound Caterina Ravosa, but Gabby has also impacted winning both in prep school and grassroots.
Jules Stevenson, Team NSSA HGSL 17U
5-5 guard
Phillips Andover/Beverly, Mass.
I watched the first half of NSSA’s Sunday morning game against Elevate NYBC and saw Stevenson hit five (maybe six?) 3s, including a deep halftime buzzer-beater. I left that game impressed plenty and later heard she ended it with a stunning 41 points and 10 3-pointers.
If Stevenson gets a sliver of space behind a screen or a late defender, she is firing away and probably making it. She’s not just a spot-up shooter either. Stevenson will read screens and launch off the dribble on occasion. She ran a lot of offense for NSSA and generally made good decisions, and I caught a crafty driving layup too. Stevenson’s signature skills are behind the arc, but I’m intrigued by some of the additional playmaking.
JT Torres, New England Storm S40 17U
5-3 guard
Proctor/Methuen, Mass.
Torres displayed some of the best court processing and passing that I saw this weekend. She got rolling in Saturday’s loss to Books and Basketball with a perfect transition kick-ahead to Sophie Dupeyron for an and-1 bucket. Torres later bounced a sweet pocket pass to Dupeyron on the short roll to get her a mid-range jumper, in addition to more smart extra passes and drive-and-kicks. She read one ball screen that gave her space and pulled up for a long two-pointer as well.
Quick shouts:Â It's been a super busy few weeks for top Bay State Jaguars prospect Ella Peper (Newton, Mass.). She was in Chicago for the Chris Brickley Invitational, then came to Atlantic City, and next heads to U.S. U17 national team tryouts starting May 21. Peper still played solid by her lofty standards. When I watched Sunday, she hit two 3-pointers to help seal the Jags' win against iBelieve, and I liked how engaged she was moving without the basketball.
... I only watched a bit of MCW Starz's U17 S40 team, but remain a fan of Lana Orietas (Voorheesville, N.Y.), a sweet-shooting 6-foot wing who makes good decisions off the dribble too. ... I'd lump together JuJu Booth (iBelieve/Hartford, Conn.), Avery Vanderburg (iBelieve/Easton, Conn.) and Kiera Paradis (MCW Starz/Goffstown, N.H.) as players who popped with high two-way compete level. ... It's no surprise Naya Annigeri (Bay State Jaguars/Medfield, Mass.) was impactful as a lead guard, and I saw some new flash as a ball-handler to create space. ... I had not watched much of Allegra Paquette (iBelieve/Darien, Conn.) before, but she was one of the best sharpshooters from the class this weekend. Abby Broderick (Bay State Jaguars/Medfield, Mass.) was also on fire as usual behind the arc. ... Lastly, 6-1 center Emma Moore (Reading, Mass.) made me take note with her play on NSSA's 17U Hoop Group team. Moore is strong and a great finisher around the basket, and she worked well with Stevenson on Sunday.
