America East Basketball: 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
18. Ben Shungu
A native of nearby South Burlington, Shungu was one of the best high school basketball players in the state of Vermont in 2016 when he joined the Catamounts program. He redshirted his freshman year and then played the next five seasons for the Catamounts, taking advantage of his bonus year from the pandemic. A bench piece early in his career, he developed into one of the best wings in the America East on both sides of the ball.
Shungu put up decent numbers early in his career before becoming a full-time starter in his junior season. His offensive numbers were by no means elite, but he brought it on the other side of the ball, winning America East Defensive Player of the Year. Fast forward two years later and Shungu led the entire America East in scoring, averaging 16.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in his fifth and final campaign. His career ended with a 20-point performance in a loss to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament.
An impressive wing, Shungu was a major reason for Vermont’s success in recent years both offensively and defensively. That senior year saw him named to the conference’s All-Defense team for a third straight time and First Team All-America East for the first time. He was also AEC Tournament MVP, winning a second conference championship with the Catamounts. He was the rare mid-major guard who really brought it on both ends of the court.