Welcome to New England Basketball Journal.
A new era of basketball coverage begins now. Our first cover athlete is also leading a new era: Cooper Flagg.
Read our first magazine cover story on his impact in Maine, by
@steve_hewitt
:
🎙️ NEW HoopWise podcast!
@thebabc
's Leo Papile (and his dog, Cotton!) joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation on his legendary career, the state of grassroots hoops and much more.
WATCH:
LISTEN:
College basketballs season is still far away, but there's plenty to get excited about — especially in New England, where several women's teams are thriving.
Which mid-major programs are must-watch in 2024-25?
@ethman43
has 5 to put on your early radar:
Jay Jones is the son of BU coach Joe Jones, but he never wanted to be handed anything because of his dad.
He was motivated to prove himself on a basketball journey that takes him to Penn next fall.
“He wants to blaze his own trail.”
From
@steve_hewitt
:
The Northeast High School Senior Showcase brought more than 40 rising seniors, all from MIAA schools, together for a rare but valuable exposure event in front of more than 30 college coaches on Tuesday.
@steve_hewitt
has 7 standouts:
We have magazines!
Our inaugural magazine — featuring Cooper Flagg, AJ Dybantsa, Kaelyn Carroll and much more — is printed and ready to go.
Subscribe today at for our daily content and quarterly magazine.
On July 11, Olivia Rodrigues announced her commitment to play college basketball at Providence.
The decision came a bit sooner than expected. She and her father Matt told
@ethman43
why, and revealed what she made sure to ask coaches while being recruited:
Introducing: The HoopWise Podcast 🏀
@steve_hewitt
and
@ethman43
will be discussing New England basketball from all angles, with fresh conversation, special guests and more.
Find us on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️
You’ve seen the dunk highlights. You’ve seen the three-pointers, and you’ve seen the hype.
But who is Ella Peper?
“It’s weird to say, but I crave touching a basketball. I crave playing.”
@ethman43
’s story on the rising freshman phenom:
This summer,
@CoachGiordano
and
@KB3EliteBB
teamed up to launch the Draft League, a 7-week program for top middle school talent in the region.
So far, it's been a big hit.
@steve_hewitt
has more on the new league and its growth:
The third
@ASFL_Shoot4Cure
All-Star Games brought some of New England's hoops stars together, celebrating their talent and their fundraising efforts toward cancer research.
Players got to simply have fun — but there was still some healthy competition:
The NEPSAC basketball season is still months away, but we already have our eyes on a few schools to look out for this winter.
@steve_hewitt
breaks down five boys teams to be excited about in 2024-25:
Jasmyn Cooper committed to Syracuse on July 7, but the Orange first offered her two years ago.
What does Cooper remember from that phone call? She appreciated how Syracuse liked her hustle and body language.
Cooper spoke with
@ethman43
about committing:
Ryan Altman is not only one of the best players coming out of New England, he's one of the region's biggest winners.
@steve_hewitt
went 1 on 1 with the Rivers star on his commitment to Penn, his favorite moments, facing AJ Dybantsa and much more ➡️
“I think he’s a guy that will be a fan favorite because of his personality.”
Leo Papile thinks
@thebabc
alum Oswin Erhunmwunse will be a popular guy at Providence. Just ask one of his biggest fans, Cotton 🤣
WATCH:
LISTEN:
The A Shot For Life Challenge is one of the marquee competitions on the
@ASFL_Shoot4Cure
calendar. This year, the shooting contest expanded to its third state in Connecticut.
Here are the top-3 finishers from each of the six events:
The New England Class of 2025 is taking center stage, but this class has already been on our radar for a while.
It is loaded — one of the most impressive classes in recent years.
@ethman43
introduces and breaks down some of the many must-watch talents:
Versatility defines the New England 2026 class.
Some players are high-level playmakers, others are multi-positional defenders, and some have prolific two-way impact.
@ethman43
chose 10 names (plus honorable mentions) and detailed what makes them special:
“I don’t have an expiration date on it. … I’m ready to go season 48 now.”
Leo Papile isn’t slowing down any time soon for
@thebabc
.
Full HoopWise podcast episode available now.
WATCH:
LISTEN:
Kelvin Odih of
@SouthKentHoops
is a motor on the court and one of the fastest stock risers of the 2025 class.
@steve_hewitt
: “Buy your stock now in Kelvin Odih.”
More on Ep. 1 of the HoopWise podcast:
📺:
🎧:
Last winter,
@WMAGirlsHoops
set a milestone with their first NEPSAC Class C championship.
This year, they're making the ambitious leap up three divisions to Class AA.
Here's the news:
Which incoming Division 1 women from New England could make an early impact as college freshmen?
The 2024 class is loaded with strong names. Here are 10 picks from
@ethman43
:
It’s certainly early, but there’s plenty to like about New England’s 2026 class. One theme that sticks out? Toughness.
@steve_hewitt
selected 10 names for his watch list and discussed each player in detail:
Jaylen Harrell, a top 2025 recruit from Roxbury, made his commitment to Providence last week surrounded by family and friends in his home gym at the Tobin Community Center.
@steve_hewitt
was on the scene and talked to Harrell about the decision:
Brockton's AJ Dybantsa is now the consensus top prospect in high school. The life of the Dybantsa family has become a whirlwind of travel and attention — but that hasn't shaken them.
"Everything I do is for my family."
A feature story from
@ethman43
:
Lindsey Lemay recently announced her commitment to Northeastern — but the journey to that decision wasn't easy.
Lemay talked with
@ethman43
about recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus, why she chose the Huskies, and more in this Q&A:
Kaelyn Carroll gets up 100-200 shots per day. During the pandemic, she honed her dribbling skills by covering basketballs in trash bags.
That behind-the-scenes work has helped her become one of the country's top prospects.
Story from
@ethman43
:
In the new Select Power 24 league,
@MCWSTARZ
had some great expectations — and they met the standard by reaching Monday's title game in Louisville.
@ethman43
has more highlights from last weekend's AAU championships:
With 10 Division 1 caliber players,
@MiddlesexMagic
's 17U squad is among the favorites to win the Under Armour national championship in Chicago this weekend as they look to repeat.
“There aren’t any holes on the team.”
More from
@steve_hewitt
:
"They’ve become the forgotten group. ... For something like this — for these kids to be seen by all of us — it reminds us that there’s really good players in the MIAA.”
From
@ethman43
: How the Northeast HS Senior Showcase helps give MIAA boys exposure 🏀
The prep school season is still months away — but there are plenty of teams to get excited about.
@ethman43
gives a very early teaser, highlighting five NEPSAC squads he’s looking forward to watching in 2024-25:
We're tracking every college commitment in the New England girls Class of 2025.
Our database of players is already filling up. Take a look at who has made their college decision:
This past weekend, the
@WallyHSInvALS
Invitational brought more than 120 area high school teams together for some summer hoops, including several girls teams that could contend for a state title.
@ethman43
has four standouts from Sunday's bracket play:
Cooper Flagg. Joson Sanon. Kur Teng. New England's 2024 class is loaded with players heading to high-major Division 1 programs.
@steve_hewitt
lists 10 incoming freshmen from the region who could make an impact in their first year of college basketball:
Matt Droney has always had a coach's mindset, even dating back to when he was in fifth grade on his Canton travel team.
Now, the former Babson College star is ready for his first chance as a head coach with Dexter Southfield.
Story from
@steve_hewitt
:
It was a busy weekend for several AAU teams from New England as circuit championships began.
Recapping some of the action, including championships for the
@TNEBBallClub
16U team and
@MiddlesexMagic
17U HGSL squad, from
@steve_hewitt
:
Introducing our college commitments databases.
We'll be tracking every New England player's college decision here
@nehoopjournal
.
The boys class of 2025 database is up and running:
The Let it Fly Classic has become a staple of Greater Boston's summer basketball scene.
This year, Cambridge's
@CoachNickyFree
added a new element: an NBA preparation workout for some of New England's top high school prospects.
@steve_hewitt
has more:
AJ Dybantsa scored 25 points in the Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship game on Sunday.
Though Dybantsa's effort came in a loss, the Brockton native showed why he's widely recognized as the nation's top high school prospect.
@ethman43
unpacked the film 🎞️
.
@thebabc
is feeling confident heading into the Adidas 3SSB national championships today.
Led by Joson Sanon, one of the best scorers on the circuit, they feel like they have a shot.
“He wants to win. He’ll put you on his back.”
Story by
@steve_hewitt
:
On Episode 2 of the HoopWise Podcast,
@steve_hewitt
asked
@ethman43
about the best players he's watched while covering local girls basketball.
He had a two-part answer — first, he mentioned former
@northq123
and
@DXSF_GBBall
star Orlagh Gormley.
📺
The MIAA season is still several months away, but with so many great teams and returning stars, there's a lot to look forward to.
@ethman43
has an early preview of five squads he's excited to watch in 2024-25:
Sam Hughes, a 6-foot-6 guard for Dexter Southfield and Middlesex Magic, announced his college commitment to Boston University.
Hughes is the fourth Division 1 college commit of the 2025 class for
@MiddlesexMagic
.
Our boys commitments database is updated:
“I’ve seen some [colleges] very particular with their offers that they have go out, and I’ve seen some schools let them things fly." -
@HardwoodJungle
Verbal offers are critical for young athletes. But how do they really work?
A deep dive from
@ethman43
:
“The horses have left the barn — it’s common.”
NIL is here to stay in high school sports. So how are New England athletic associations building policies to support it?
@ethman43
dove into the progress so far:
AJ Dybantsa announced his top seven college choices today: Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, and North Carolina 🚨
@ethman43
has a breakdown of the news and why each program could be appealing:
Oswin Erhunmwunse moved to the United States just two years ago, but the big man quickly blossomed into one of the top prospects in New England.
What can we expect from him at Providence this season?
Our first prospect watch, from
@steve_hewitt
:
Matt Gaffney will lead Malden Catholic for a chance at history as the school attempts to win its fourth straight Div. 2 state championship this winter.
Who are some other MIAA schools to watch in 2024-25?
It's still early, but
@steve_hewitt
looks ahead:
The
@MiddlesexMagic
won the Hoop Group 17U championship this season, solidifying the program as one of the deepest in the country.
From a statement scrimmage to a haircut bet and a poetic ending, the inside story of their title run, by
@steve_hewitt
:
This summer, Grace Kearney has chosen to train privately and skip AAU — a rare move in today's basketball world.
Will it still lead to a scholarship? Kearney doesn't know, but she's not afraid to try things her way.
Read
@ethman43
's story on her vision:
In the aftermath of the July live period, college coaches must decide how they'll give out verbal offers.
What goes into their strategy — and are there fewer scholarships available than in years past?
Here's what
@ethman43
learned:
His second answer: former
@HoopsBrooks
star and current
@DukeWBB
guard Taina Mair.
"If you ask me who the best player I have watched is... Taina Mair is the best player."
Watch the episode on or wherever you get your podcasts:
AJ Dybantsa was dominant at Peach Jam, the Middlesex Magic were upset at Under Armour, and Brian Scalabrine's Team White Mamba made a deep run at MADE Hoops.
@steve_hewitt
recaps how New Englanders performed at AAU championships across the country:
We are arriving at the apex of the AAU calendar: July championship weekend.
Where can you find the top local girls basketball programs?
@ethman43
has a rundown of the circuits and teams to monitor: