2027 Needle-Movers in the Mid-Atlantic

With the turn of the calendar representing the near-halfway point of the 2025-26 high school season, it feels like as good a time as any to take stock of what we've seen thus far this season. Highlighted below are a handful of juniors who have substantially boosted their stock so far with consistent play so far this winter.    Paul VI is playing as well as any high school team in the country right now, and the emergence of Mitchell is the main reason why, outside of the heroics of five-star Jordan Smith. A last-minute transfer from Varina (VA) with varsity experience since 8th grade, Mitchell is coming off an injury-riddled spring and summer but has played his best basketball this winter as a consistent co-star to Smith on the perimeter. He slots in seamlessly as a dynamic off-ball catch-and-shoot threat with a polished skillset putting it on the deck past closeouts as a scorer or playmaker for others. Mitchell uses his broad, muscular frame to crash the glass and defend up the lineup in for an undersized PVI group. His blend of efficient scoring and cerebral floor instincts has begun to attract high-major attention as he stacks big performances under the national spotlight.     Following up a breakout sophomore year and a standout grassroots season, Condon looks to have taken another jump this winter while establishing himself as one of the more prolific scoring forwards in the region, if not the country. His season was highlighted by a pair of statement performances at the Jordan Holiday Classic, where he erupted for 25+ points in two wins with Mississippi State-bound wing Jalyn Collingwood sidelined by the flu. Condon is as reliable a shooter as you'll find with his feet set and has continued to develop a dangerous dribble-drive game to attack closeouts and put pressure on the rim. As his body continues to develop, he's become more fluid in the open floor and explosive as a finisher. He may not pass the initial eye test, but Condon's skillset and production continue to look like a potential fit at the high-major level in due time.     The flashes were there last year as a repeat sophomore and into a successful AAU campaign, but Stewart has clearly been playing at a different level this year as a consistent focal point for a talented Westtown group. A silky-smooth wing guard who plays with an eye-catching bounce in his step, Stewart's confidence looks to be at an all-time high as he really comes into his own as a go-to scorer. He's grown into a more mature and dynamic jump shot as his body has stabilized, giving him an added layer of shot-creation to go with his efficient off-ball instincts and rangy defense. The next steps will be adding strength to his growing frame and learning where to mesh his offensive exploits in with the overall flow of the game, but Stewart is oozing with talent and has been as dynamic a scorer as any junior in the state so far this year.     Haverford is off to a hot start to the year with eyes set on an Inter-Ac title, and Graham has flourished as the unquestioned floor leader and a Swiss-army presence across the backcourt. While he splits time on and off the ball, Graham serves as the consistent hub of the Fords' attack with as cerebral a two-way approach as you'll find at the high school level. He picks his spots like a seasoned pro while efficiently exploiting mismatches all over the floor, particularly taking advantage of opportunities to bully smaller guards in the post or whip passes out to shooters once he draws double teams. While known most for his facilitating and floor game, Graham has erupted for multiple 30+ point performances, including a career-high 42 early in the season, showing added wrinkles as a scorer that help boost his projection to the high-major level when the time comes.     Phelps is relying heavily this year on a core of sophomores, putting extra onus on the few upperclassmen in the rotation to carry a heavy load and bring a measure of consistency on a game-to-game basis. Ivery has routinely answered the bell, slotting in smoothly to a high-octane attack with his blend of positional size, blossoming athleticism, and a strikingly natural feel for the game. The Ohio native and Columbus Academy transfer thrives in a Swiss-army utility role, filling in gaps in the halfcourt or transition as a reliable floor-spacer, dynamic slasher, and smart connective ball-mover. He's stronger than his slender frame gives off and is really coming into his own athletically as a finisher around the rim. There's a clear path to high-major status for the jumbo guard if he can show an added on-ball dimension or grow into an even more dangerous perimeter shooting threat.     Judge has been known to play through its guards in a pace-and-space attack under coach Chris Roantree, but Adedeji has nonetheless managed to be a clear breakout performer up front in the early going of the season. Mostly a JV piece last year, Adedeji has burst his way into the starting lineup for the Crusaders, turning talent and potential into consistent production at a high level for the first time. While he boasts a natural perimeter skillset as a floor-spacer and faceup driver, he's really impressed with his growth in using his size and budding strength and athleticism to put pressure on the paint as a roller, crasher, and rim-runner. Adedeji's ability to punish teams inside while still fitting into Judge's 5-out attack has been a key development toward both the Crusaders' quest for a PCL repeat and the blossoming forward's emergence as a bona fide D1 prospect.

With the turn of the calendar representing the near-halfway point of the 2025-26 high school season, it feels like as good a time as any to take stock of what we've seen thus far this season. Highlighted below are a handful of juniors who have substantially boosted their stock so far with consistent play so far this winter.