Casimir is a Gael
Schadrac Casimir has done nothing but prove people wrong for the last year and a half…if not longer.
Last season, as a senior at Trinity Catholic High School, Casimir established himself as one of the top players in the CIAC and in so doing led one of the state’s most storied high school programs to an unexpected run to the Class L finals in what was supposed to be a down year for the Crusaders.
Despite that production, the skeptics doubted if his volume scoring game would translate to the division I level given his lack of size and strength, and so almost immediately after the season, Casimir announced he would do a post-graduate season at the South Kent School.
First though, it would be one final AAU season with USAD, the program that Casimir had come up the ranks with. He led the club to three strong showings during the July evaluation period, all while being followed by a long line of coaches from local American East and Northeast Conference schools, and yet he picked up only one division I offer from Sacred Heart.
His season at South Kent was nothing short of spectacular, as he put up huge numbers to lead the Cardinals to the fourth seed in the Class AAA tournament and a spot in the National Prep Championship. Even more impressive, was what he did against the highest levels of competition, scoring 30+ points against Brewster Academy, St. Thomas More, and Northfifeld Mount Hermon alike.
Despite even that, the only new division I offer came from Iona.
This weekend, Casimir traveled to New Rochelle to work out for the Iona coaching staff in accordance with new NCAA rules. Following the workout, the Gaels reiterated their scholarship offer, which the five-foot-ten guard quickly accepted.
Iona has established themselves as one of the highest scoring and most up-tempo teams in all of college basketball under fourth year head coach Tim Cluess, winning 20 or more games in each of his seasons at the helm of the program.
This season the Gaels took the MAAC regular season title behind a pair of former New England prep products who were similarly under-recruited in former Notre Dame Prep guard Sean Armand and St. Thomas More guard A.J. English, both of whom have flourished in the Gaels system because of their ability to play in the open floor and make shots in bunches.
In Casimir, they’re hoping they’ve found their latest diamond in the rough in yet another New England prep product who has flown under the radar despite a proven ability to score the basketball and make tough shots, against the very highest levels of competition the world of prep school basketball has to offer.
A.J. English
Schadrac Casimir