WORCESTER, Mass. — New England’s 2027 class was naturally at the forefront at the 2026 NEPSAC Boys Scholastic Showcase, but the live periods also provided an important glimpse into the rising juniors of the region.
College coaches at every level are starting to dig into the 2028 class, and my sense from being around them all weekend at Worcester Academy is that they like what they see. Division 1 coaches are now allowed to directly communicate with 2028 class members since the contact period began on June 15, and we’ve seen more of them generating scholarship offers coming out of the showcase weekends.
Most of our 2028 standouts from this weekend are known names in the region. They have a great chance to build on the momentum from successful June live periods into the July grassroots live periods, and ultimately, further establish their recruitment momentum going into an important winter.
Here are 10 standouts from the 2028 class who shined at the second NEPSAC Showcase.
SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: 2027 backcourt | 2027 frontcourt
Modu Abdulrahman, Mount St. Charles
6-7 wing
Hometown: Borno, Nigeria
One word came to mind while watching Abdulrahman throughout the weekend: tools. He’s incredibly athletic, which he flashes with dunks, rebounds and finishes around the rim. He’s fast and opportunistic in the open floor. And he was stepping out and hitting 3-point shots with some consistency. He’s earned three Division 1 offers this spring from UT Arlington, UAB and Wagner; he’s on a positive, encouraging trajectory.
Jack Charchaflian, Nobles
6-1 guard
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
After missing the first showcase due to an injury, Charchaflian returned this weekend. Coach Lambros Papalambros challenged him as he shook off some rust and he responded by producing in the clutch in a pair of Nobles’ games. He scored five points in the final moments of one game, then executed a terrific go-ahead play in the final seconds of a game vs. Austin Prep, when he spun into a baseline pull-up. Without his typical burst coming off an injury, Charchaflian’s passing and playmaking was still at a high level with the way he set the table for his teammates.
Patrick Costello, Rivers
6-5 guard
Hometown: Natick, Mass.
When I first saw Costello as a freshman, he was a starter for a loaded Rivers squad who mostly made his impact with his 3-point shooting, but we’re seeing the continued evolution of his game. He had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists with three 3-pointers in my viewing of the Red Wings against Loomis Chaffee. Those triples included a sweet behind-the-legs step-back shot, and he also got into the paint with a few tough finishes through contact. His improved playmaking is very encouraging, too, as he rounds out his game fully.
Kyle Delves, Mount St. Charles
6-3 guard
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Regardless of class, I thought Delves was one of the biggest winners of the two June live periods. It feels like he’s playing at a higher level than when I saw him earlier in the spring. His pace with the ball was elite. It felt like there were at least a dozen times that he led a fast break from a rebound for a score in less than five seconds, and there were even a handful of times when Mount St. Charles would give a basket, only for Delves to get it immediately back with a quick play the other way. His speed and court processing were at a high level all weekend, whether it was in transition or half-court offenses, and it was notable how loud of a communicator he constantly was on the defensive end. He picked up an offer from Rhode Island after the weekend and his stock is quickly rising.
Salim Diaby, Tilton
6-10 center
Hometown: Guinea, Africa
We hear often about how players are improving, but it seems like Diaby is getting better at a rapid level. His impact was felt constantly in Tilton’s win over St. George’s on Friday, when he was dominating the paint on both ends of the court. He showed excellent touch and finishing ability around the rim, including a turnaround hook, and his length and activity was really impressive with rebounding and blocking and altering shots. He grabbed an offer from New Mexico following the weekend.
Luka Kuqo, Newman
6-10 forward
Hometown: Oradell, N.J.
Kuqo is a stock-rising name who’s quickly emerging as one of the most intriguing prospects in the region. He impacted the game in a variety of ways in my viewings of Newman throughout the weekend with his defense – both disrupting passing lanes and protecting the rim – as well as showing good off-ball movement, soft touch around the rim and from the mid-range. He’s a skilled big with shooting ability and switchability on defense, and colleges are noticing. He holds recent offers from Wake Forest and La Salle.
Dereon Medina, Concord Academy
5-11 guard
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
Medina bears a large scoring responsibility at Concord Academy, but he seems to deliver every time. Case in point: An explosive 44-point performance against Hamden Hall, which included at least seven 3-pointers and at least one deep heat check triple that he drilled. But he was also carving up defenses, getting into the paint and finishing through traffic and contact, including an impressive off-balanced runner off the glass for a three-point play. He wasn’t only looking to score, too; he used his gravity and scoring threat to draw defenders and open cutting lanes for his teammates. Medina is one of the most gifted offensive players in this class regionally.
Damian Mojica, Masters (NY)
6-8 forward
Hometown: Yonkers, N.Y.
The play of the weekend came in the final game of Friday night between Masters (NY) and Williston Northampton when in a tied game in the final seconds, Mojica found an opening in the paint and flushed a buzzer-beating two-handed dunk that sparked a fun celebration. For the second consecutive weekend, Mojica impressed with his athleticism and skill that’s quickly making him one of the best 2028 prospects locally. He showed great footwork and finishing around the rim, a mature pull-up and fadeaway jumper game and a strong motor on the glass, and I think his passing ability might even be a little underrated, demonstrated by a pair of dimes in transition, including one full-court pass. One high-major assistant remarked to me that he might be the best 2028 prospect in the gym. It would be hard to disagree.
Derek Swartz, New Hampton
6-5 guard
Hometown: Portsmouth, N.H.
The long-anticipated NEPSAC debut of Swartz didn’t disappoint. We know him as a high-level scorer but I’m continuously impressed with his rebounding ability and motor, which he showed several times against Putnam Science with at least four offensive rebounds. It looked like it took him some time to settle in with his new team and when he did, we saw the full scoring arsenal; a coast-to-coast bucket, catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, finishing through contact and cutting for a bucket. He has the full scoring package with his skill, size, shooting ability and IQ, and I expect Swartz – now ranked No. 56 in the national 2028 class by 24/7 Sports – to be one of the best newcomers in Class AAA.
Jordan Torres, Holderness
6-4 guard
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
Holderness graduated some offensive firepower from its Class B Small championship team. Enter Torres, a standout from Mass Rivals and one of the best public school players at Trinity High School in New Hampshire who made his NEPSAC debut with the Blue Bulls and didn’t need much time to produce alongside star returning point guard Jayvian Cruz. I noted how well Torres moved without the ball to find spots in the defense to create, and when he got the ball, he was difficult to stop. He made difficult shots, used both hands to get to the rim and used an array of pivots and strong footwork to create good shots for himself. I also saw some strong drives and paint touches to make plays for teammates.
