The Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball program added their fifth member to the class of 2024 with the signing of Blair Academy’s Michael O’Connell.
He’s the fifth player to sign for the class and just further solidifies this as the best recruiting class in the Pac-12 by a longshot.
O’Connell was a standout lacrosse player for Blair Academy while also averaging 18 points and five rebounds/assists a game as a senior. He was a First-Team All-State, First-Team All-League selection while leading his team to the MAPL Championship in New Jersey. He previously had played for Chaminade in New York, where he was a three-time All-League player and the NSCHSAA Player of the Year in his junior season.
Stanford head coach Jerod Haase spoke to GoStanford.com about O’Connell’s signing:
“Michael is a born leader and proven competitor - the type of person that will thrive in our culture,” continued Haase. “His success playing a variety of sports at such a high level proves how special of an athlete he is, and he will only continue to improve on the basketball court over his career at Stanford.”
His success at other sports was mainly in lacrosse where he was ranked as the No. 81 overall prospect by Inside Lacrosse. He had previously signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Maryland but instead opted out of that and chose basketball where he’ll now suit up for Haase and the Cardinal.
“Maryland Lacrosse is awesome. I verbally committed to them in the ninth grade. Coach John Tillman is great. He understood my love for basketball and how great of a school Stanford is. He was very supportive of my decision,” O’Connell said in a Rivals.com interview. “My decision on Stanford is getting the opportunity to receive a world-class education. Also, to play for Coach [Jerod] Haase and to win a Pac 12 Championship.”
At 6’2, 180 pounds, O’Connell is a talented point guard and was rated as a three-star recruit. He had nearly a dozen scholarship offers for basketball alone but was previously relatively unknown before transferring to Blair. He played extremely well in a loaded conference with a loaded team, giving him and Cardinal fans hope that he can indeed continue that in major college basketball.
O’Connell joins five-star SF Ziaire Williams, three-star PF Max Murrell, three-star SG Noah Taitz and three-star PF Brandon Angel as signees for the class of 2024, the top-ranked class in the Pac-12.
Welcome to The Farm, Michael!
Comments
Great happenstance!
Michael O’Connell is a better all-around player—for D-1 basketball—than Tyrell Terry at the same stage. Watched his highlight videos. He’s a Haase-kind of player, with more heft and size than Terry had in high school. Not to overdo the Terry critique, a kid can’t be other than his natural gifts at any age; Ty may evolve to be everything that his hype has expected. But, Terry and O’Connell will be a dynamite combo after Daejon Davis graduates next year. Davis needs a decent backup, since Isaac White transferred. With or without Terry, O’Connell will be that guy. O’Connell is more stout as a defender than Terry was as a frosh. I hope that Terry returns, but O’Connell will fill more roles than Terry could as a frosh; near the end of last season, Terry was getting replaced by White for defensive purposes. I really like how O’Connell has an instinctive mid-range shot, not just 3 pointers or drive penetration. With Davis, Bryce Wills, and Ziaire Williams as teammates, Michael should blossom into a special player.
By Candid One on 06.04.20 1:54pm
I don't know what you're watching...
Regardless of if Terry stays or not, O’Connell will only get like 5-10 mpg because he’s still a raw bball player, having spent most of his focus on lacrosse. We’ve already signed one of the top 3 point guards in the nation for the 2021 class in Isa Silva who will start from day 1 when he gets on campus. I don’t see Michael starting till his Senior, maybe junior season, but he’ll be a solid contributor after year 1.
By UVAells on 06.05.20 3:06pm
You misconstrue.
My exhuberance for O’Connell never describes him as a starter, only as a backup. However, his lacrosse prowess doesn’t diminish his basketball skills. Watch his videos on YouTube. His lacrosse hype may have diverted attention from his basketball abilities but he wasn’t a benchwarmer. Lacrosse skills are highly transferable to the hardwood, much more than any other sports. O’Connell has court vision and passing skills in a versatile offensive game. He’ll develop faster all-around than Terry, who’ll have to avoid a sophomore slump that he appeared to start in his final stretch as a frosh.
I didn’t intend to exclude Noah Taitz and the other arriving frosh, who aren’t point guards. My mention of O’Connell as benefiting from Davis, Wills, and Williams is just that. I wasn’t implying that he’d be on a starting roster at any time as a frosh. But do not underestimate his brilliant lacrosse background as a basketball player. His point guard stats aren’t a mere coincidence.
By Candid One on 06.05.20 5:07pm