NCAA Basketball: 5 best players from state of Vermont of last decade
By Joey Loose
4. Joe O’Shea – Holy Cross / Bryant
This article looks at the best players from the last decade, but that also means that some of these seasons fall out of the decade. O’Shea arrived at Holy Cross way back in 2010, but it wasn’t until later in his career that he finally emerged. This 6’4 guard from Burlington had virtually zero role with the Crusaders, and transferred to Bryant, where he’d have a much bigger impact across his final three seasons.
O’Shea actually didn’t score a single point at Holy Cross and then sat out a season as he transferred to Bryant. The Bulldogs finally gave him his shot, and he averaged 8.3 points a game as a redshirt sophomore. After emerging as the program’s sixth man during that season, he earned more minutes as a full-time starter as an upperclassman. During his senior year, he averaged 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, helping lead Bryant to a second-place finish in the NEC. He’d have a career-high 23 points in a conference tournament win over Sacred Heart before falling in their next game.
That senior season saw O’Shea lead the NEC in true shooting percentage and offensive rating, with his offensive metrics looking quite impressive. He fit in nicely with the Bulldogs after having no role at Holy Cross and is certainly another example of transferring for a better fit. O’Shea earned All-NEC Third Team honors for that senior year and played valuable minutes on three solid Bryant squads; the program’s first era of success since joining D1 athletics.