Top Talent: 802 All-State First Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the cream of the crop as they say! If you don't already know these guys, you're behind. We've got D1, D2, and D3 commits as well as two 2025's who are about their craft and poised to play ball at the next level. Tap in on Vermont's best. (photo of [player_tooltip player_id='2313121' first='Tucker' last='Tharpe'])</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1227861' first='Harry' last='Geng'], 6'2 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Night in and night out it was Harry who delivered. With sensational feel, ballhandling and a deep scoring package, Harry put defenses in the skillet and cooked. The 3-level scorer averaged around 24 ppg. and whether it was on ball or off, Harry got it going. He can fire from deep or beat you with his quick first step, and he makes sound reads in the 2nd layer as an athletic scorer or as an aware distributor. Off-ball the movement is smart and fundamental, creating space with great timing on his cuts and off screens. A rangy defender too, Harry delivered consistently on that end by forcing TO's on the ball or in passing lanes. Harry heads to D2 NE-10 St. Michaels, a team on an absolute heater right now. Harrys for real. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2312980' first='Drew' last='Bessette'], 6'8 W/F - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The UVM walk-on has all the tools to takeover any given night. Drew's versatility offensively is obvious with his knockdown jump shooting off the catch and post prowess as both a scorer and as a distributor. He provided about 16 ppg., spacing, plentiful rim pressure, and had the mindset to get everyone involved on this loaded Rice team. And defensively he's just as versatile. Bessette handled most any big with ease inside as he resisted them from getting to their spot and swatted shots. Plus, he's comfortable defending on the perimeter too, showing nice footwork to stick with slashers and challenge shots at all levels. Highly talented, good frame, and a team-based mindset. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2313121' first='Tucker' last='Tharpe'], 6'7 F - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whenever I watched CVU get the ball to Tucker on the block or in the short corner, good things happened. Tharpe's ability to generate offense from those spots is a thing of beauty. The tactical post scorer averaged about 16 ppg. with his go-to moves, counters, and the handle to face-up and go off the bounce. Moreover, his court awareness and feeds out of the 2nd layer were on point, making good decision after good decision. Defensively active and agile, Tharpe is the backbone. He provides good rim protection, post power, tons of rebounding, the versatility to switch onto guards, and the communication to keep everything tightly knit. The RPI commit is a two-way force. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2325785' first='Owen' last='Eaton'], 6'2 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An explosive scorer and athlete, Owen made his mark on the VPA this year. Eaton's 3-level scoring is simply volatile; he'll often explode for solo scoring runs featuring 3s in transition, off pull-ups, and certainly off the catch. Or he'll drive by the closeout and finish with impressive athleticism at the rim or with the mid to short range jay from anywhere on the floor. Mix in his defensive instincts away from the ball and you have someone who'll create havoc in the passing lanes or absolutely decimate shots inside with well-timed and athletic shot-blocking. His ceiling is up there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2396750' first='Rex' last='Hauser'], 6'5 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's not a thing on the court that Rex doesn't do. Hauser's impact is felt immediately with his anticipatory and disruptive defense, able to create chaos in both the halfcourt and fullcourt pressure. Any given possession, he'll hawk the ball, rotate crisply in the zone, and battle around the rim with the state's best bigs for boards. From there he's a coast-to-coast playmaker that opponents have to gameplan for. In the halfcourt, Rex has shown the 3 ball off pull-ups or the catch, crafty 2nd layer finishing, and the ability to facilitate the offense or exploit holes with his off-ball action. An absolute stud with one of the most well-rounded skillsets in VT. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->