End of Season Awards: Vermont All-State

Earlier this week, we began to unveil our all-state teams from throughout New England.   Today, we continue that process by taking a look at the all-state teams for the state of Vermont.   As a reminder, here is our approach for selecting these teams.   First, the benefit that we have over say, the NBA, is that we don't have to cast any votes until after the state tournaments have taken place. Because of that, these teams will factor in playoff performances.   In each state we'll name a Player of the Year. That player will earn their own recognition, seperate from the all-state teams.   After that we'll name five players to a 1st team and five more to a 2nd team. Construction of the teams will have less to do with positional make up than it will with trying to honor the prospects we believe had the best seasons.   With that being said, let's take a look at the 2024-2025 Player of the Year and All-State teams from Vermont.   Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='2325846' first='Abdi' last='Sharif'] - Burlington   Sharif, the state's top two-way wing, capped off his senior season with a state championship victory. The 6'5" wing scored 29 points in the state championship, the most in a Division 1 final since 1994, capping off a terrific playoff stretch that saw him secure double-doubles in both of his last two games. A state champion last winter when he played for Rice Memorial, Sharif proved to be a dynamic offensive performer this season, scoring from multiple levels, initiating the break off of defensive rebounds, and guarding up and down a lineup. His combination of athleticism, positional size, and developing skill made him a matchup nightmare for any opponent.     1st Team: Carter Bruzzese - Montpelier   Bruzzese, a true lead guard, led Montpelier to their fifth state championship in a row, ending his career with a 25-point game in the final. A 1,000 point scorer, he also was a true set-up man, averaging over 6.0 assists per game this season. The lefty had a great feel for the game, on both ends of the floor, seeing plays before they developed that would often lead to easy baskets for his team. He was capable of generating plenty of steals, always looked ahead to push the ball in transition, and proved capable of making threes in bunches as a spot up shooter.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2325785' first='Owen' last='Eaton'] - Rice Memorial   Eaton finished off a storied career that saw him win a state championship as a junior and pass the 1,000 point mark for his career as a senior. An above the rim athlete, Eaton had maybe the play of the year on a baseline drive and dunk in the semifinals against St. Johnsbury. His ability to score the basketball at all three levels really opened up the floor for his teammates, as he had to be guarded in space. He was terrific in transition, seemingly scoring at will, and also proved to be a shot creator in the half court that could really score in isolation situations.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2325800' first='Evan' last='Eaton'] - Rice Memorial   Eaton, like his brother, was a state champion as a junior and a key piece to a state runner-up as a senior, proving to be one of the best two-way guards in the state. A lead guard that could initiate offense in the half-court, Eaton was also a terrific defender at the point of attack, utilizing his length and quickness to generate steals and deflections. He had breakdown ability off the bounce and was a crafty finisher when he got into the paint, on top of that he turned himself into one of the better perimeter shooters in the state, consistently knocking down shots from behind the arc.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2453004' first='Deng' last='Aguek'] - South Burlington   Aguek, an electric scorer, helped lead South Burlington to the semifinals and along the way, proved to be one of the most dynamic guards in the state. Aguek teamed with [player_tooltip player_id='2478937' first='Paul' last='Comba'] to give South Burlington one of the top scoring back-courts in the state and proved to be a threat to score any time he crossed halfcourt. With great length and a super quick first step, he had the ability to get to the rim off the bounce any time he wanted, finishing with both creativity and soft touch over size. Off the ball, he had deep range on his jumper and the ability to get hot in a hurry.   1st Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2396750' first='Rex' last='Hauser'] - St. Johnsbury   Hauser, a standout on the diamond in the spring, capped off an impressive career at St. Johnsbury by becoming the 18th 1,000 point scorer in the school's history. A matchup nightmare due to his combination of size, strength, and athleticism, Hauser proved to be the state's most versatile forward. He was capable of guarding all five positions, rebounding at a high rate in the paint, and defending quicker guards on the perimeter. Offensively, he ran the floor well, finished physically around the rim, and had the ability to initiate offense from the top of the key.     2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2453030' first='Andrew' last='Joncas'] - Danville   Joncas, the all-time leading scorer at Danville, wrapped up his career with a Division IV state championship. Able to operate as an initiator or off ball scorer, Joncas proved to be one of the best guards in the state when it came to creating baskets. He was able to handle the ball against pressure, showed breakdown ability in isolation situations, and had a great feel for changing speeds and direction. As a scorer, he got it done at all three levels, showing craft in the paint and the ability to make contested threes off the catch.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2408951' first='Jack' last='Lafayette'] - Peoples Academy   Lafayette, one of the top underclassmen in the state, proved to be a stat sheet stuffer as a sophomore at Peoples Academy. A big and athletic combo guard, Lafayette established himself as one of the best scorers in the state. His combination of positional size and strength allowed him to operate as a mismatch for opposing guards, where he could score in the paint or make deep shots from the outside. He had good burst with the ball in his hands, could get to the rim off the bounce, and also showed the ability to create for others as an offensive initiator.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2553700' first='Byron' last='Robertson Jr.'] - Burlington   Robertson Jr. was instrumental in Burlington's run to the state championship, proving capable of taking over games when needed. A crafty lead guard, Robertson proved to be a high level decision maker with the basketball in his hands. Whether it was finding teammates for open baskets as spot up shooters or as slashers to the rim, or scoring himself when creating in the half-court, he repeatedly made the right decisions with the ball in his hands. He also operated as a point of attack defender, often guarding the other teams best guard with great effort and intensity.   2nd Team: Peter Guay - West Rutland   Guay, who passed the 1,000 point mark as just a sophomore, helped lead West Rutland to the top seed and an appearance in the state championship. Through two seasons, he's averaged over 20.0 points per game, often doing it in a variety of ways. He makes a lot of plays with the ball in his hands, showing the ability to get to the rim off the bounce, to stop on a dime in the mid-range, or to score from behind the arc in catch and shoot situations. He's particularly effective as a perimeter scoring, showing deep range on his jumpers, and the ability to create space off the bounce.   2nd Team: [player_tooltip player_id='2811950' first='Atif' last='Milak'] - Montpelier   Milak, one of the most imposing big men in the state, was an anchor in the paint for Montpelier during their run to a state championship. At 6'7", Milak provided Montpelier with someone they could throw the ball into when they needed a basket in the paint. He had a huge catch radius, soft hands, and the ability to score through contact at the rim. He ran the floor well, was a lob threat out of ball screens, and was even capable of attacking the rim as a straight line driver. Defensively, he cleaned up on the glass and protected the rim both on the ball and from the help.

Earlier this week, we began to unveil our all-state teams from throughout New England.