O’Shea Ahead of Pack in Vermont

New England Recruiting Report | Thursday, January 7th, 2010

It should come as no surprise that Joe OShea remains the top ranked player in Vermont.  The Green Mountain State lacks the prep school presence of the other five New England states and O’Shea has been arguably the top college prospect in the public school leagues for several years now. 

O’Shea signed his National Letter of Intent this fall with Holy Cross, a perennial powerhouse in the Patriot League.  The six-foot-four guard figures to be the perfect fit in first year head coach Sean Kearney’s motion system because of his high basketball I.Q. and balanced skill set. 

But before O’Shea heads south to Worcester, he has some unfinished business in Vermont.  After a disappointing loss in last year’s state championship game, O’Shea will look to bring the state title back to Burlington in his last go round.  He has his team off to a good start as they only suffered their first loss of the season earlier this week. 

Mount Anthony Union’s Kyle Callanan holds firm to the second ranking in the state.  Outside of O’Shea, he has been the only other Vermonter to make a name for himself outside of the region on the AAU circuit, thanks to his longstanding ties with the Albany City Rocks.  Known primarily as a scorer during the high school season, Callanan’s true value comes through in the summer when he is surrounded by talented athletes and able to do a great job directing the team and running the show from the point. 

Demir Smajovic sits in the third spot from Essex Junction High School.  A six-foot-three swingman with good burst and a well versed game, Smajovic has all the tools to carry over his high school success to the college level. 

Vergennes’ Connor Merrill is the fourth ranked player in the state.  Not yet a finished product, Merrill has a high upside with good size, length, and an evolving skill set. 

Rounding out the top five is Adam Boyle who is putting up points, rebounds, and doing a little bit of everything for his Brattleboro team so far this season.  

Coming in at number six is Billy Boyd who continues to draw interest from several college programs from northern New England.  South Burlington’s Eric Dubuque isn’t far behind, especially after dropping six threes the other night against Rice. 

The rest of the top ten is comprised of Proctor’s Zach Currier, South Burlington’s Mark Mallory, and Mount Mansfield’s Conor Leland. 

To view the Vermont 2010 rankings in their entirety click here.