O’Neil is Harvard Bound

Thursday, October 4th, 2018

St. John’s Prep alum, Vermont Academy post-graduate, and longtime Middlesex Magic product Tommy ONeil made a verbal commitment to Harvard on Wednesday morning following his official visit to their campus over the weekend.

O’Neil is coming off a huge summer in which he led the Magic to a 21-1 overall record and championships at the HGSL Finals, Big Apple Showcase, and Prime Event. In total, the Magic finished the season with a record of 47-6 with five major championships.

His extra year on the grassroots circuit paid huge dividends personally as well as he went from a player who had two outdated division I offers to having his choice of over 20 division I suitors all the way up to the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

O'Neil announced his decision on twitter.

“I could not be happier for Tommy, who has worked extremely hard and earned the ability to play extremely high-level basketball and receive a world class education at Harvard,” Middlesex Magic coach and director Michael Crotty Jr. said. “Tommy has been a member of the Magic 17u team for 3 years and has added to his game each year. I believe that his toughness, motor and leadership are the intangible characteristics that, paired with his wide skill set, will allow him to make an immediate impact at Harvard. The Magic program is extremely proud of Tommy and excited for his future at Harvard!”

O’Neil’s maturation over the course of his high school career is at the heart of his ascension. While he has built up his body, become a weapon off the dribble as well as in the mid-post, and begun to stretch the floor more consistently, even more notable is the progression of his motor as he was one of the most steady competitors and rebounders in the region all spring and summer.

“Tommy O’Neil is a player who gives you remarkably consistent production,” said Vermont Academy head coach Alex Popp. “…He is a double-double machine who will impact winning in Cambridge for the next four years.”

Below are some of O'Neil's summer highlights.