MONROE, NJ – How amazing has it been to have March Madness back this year? Seriously. For any of us, as basketball fans, going 2 calendar years without crowning a National Champion in women’s or men’s college basketball would have been unimaginable. And now, as we continue to progress back to normal, basketball continues to return, and it could not have come soon enough.
Needless to say, we have not been disappointed. The Women’s NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament has produced record ratings on ESPN, generated millions and millions of social media impressions, and even prompted greater awareness toward equity after our own athletes used their voices to point out disparities in tournament operations. On top of that, the games, the players, and the coaches have inspired young players all over the country.
This weekend, some of those players gathered in Central New Jersey with the NYG Hoops crew for a well-established annual event, the Coast 2 Coast All-American Camp. As the sun rose the morning after two amazing Final 4 games, we tossed the ball up and went to work with over 150 middle school players who have their eyes on being the next big thing. We could not have picked a better day for this year’s camp, and just like the tournament, these ladies brought it!
--- We profiled the classes of 2027 and 2028 in our first segment. Now it’s time to talk about the deep class of 2026 prospects in attendance. That crew was second up in a full day of action, and at the onset we knew we were in for a treat.
There’s one word to describe the performance of 2026 point guard Autumn Fleary – dominant. The Maryland Belle was electric throughout the event, a wizard with the ball who made plenty of magic in terms of buckets and assists. You can call her a distribution manager, and when she hits the gas pedal, she’s by you in a hurry. What’s perhaps most important is that she has fun out there playing the game.
Another Marylander, 6’3 forward Arianna Harris of the Maryland Lady Tigers is an eye-catcher who can back it up with her game. A rangy athlete, she’s built to rim run and face up, and yet she has no issue banging in the post and battling for position. Harris is finishing at a pretty high rate already, and the jump shot is well on its way to getting there too, all at that height and frame as a 7th grader.
Sanai Johnson still has some growing to do, but this combo guard from PA’s K-Low Elite program is already coming with some big game. Johnson is a speedy slasher who is intent on getting to the rim and able to finish through contact. She is adding the three ball to her bag as well, so defenders beware!
Team Takeover is known for growing elite prospects through their younger years on up, and one name to know from their middle school ranks is 5’7 combo guard Demi Johnson. Johnson flashed a silky-smooth jumper that found the bottom of the net from deep on more than a few occasions. She’s athletic and a straight up gamer who just gets stuff done, point blank period. Let’s see how she progresses in the coming years.
The Philadelphia Belles were well-represented as the day went on. Colleen Besachio is a shooter out there on the wing with some tenacity to her game. If she continues to grow (already stands at 5’9), there’s some stretch four potential here. Besachio is starting to connect the dots out there, and onlookers will surely notice.
Back-court duo worth mentioning:
New Jersey Sparks, Madison Kosic, 5’7 and Ava Fajardo, 5’4 (PG) MD Lady Tigers, Monet Edwards 5’5 Guard and Mariah Jones 5’4PG NJ Belles, Daniela Maletsky, 5’6 Wing, Ava Frith, 5’9 Wing, Lola Giordano, 5’5 Guard, Isabelle Alvarado, 5’2 Guard and Audrey Duno 5’4
There’s plenty more where these players came from. Here are some names of note:
Skyler Burke, 5’6 Guard, New Heights NYC, NY Mikiaya Durham, 5’4 Point Guard, K-Low Elite, PA Arianna Benjamin, 5’8 Small Forward, Maryland Belles, MD Jordan Barnes, 5’8 Guard/Forward, NJ Panthers, NJ Toni Pernetti, 5’6 Guard, Gym Ratz, NJ Stella Lockhart 5’9, Wing, NJ Panthers, NJ