O’Connell, a senior guard out of Cushing Academy, continues to impress with his ability to make an impact at the highest level of prep basketball. The 6’1″ guard plays mostly off of the ball for Cushing, but flashes as a decision maker when the ball is in his hands. He shows the ability to get to his spots off the bounce, has some creativity as a finisher around the rim, and consistently makes high level reads out of ball screens. His ability to play on or off the ball, both in the half-court or in transition, is what makes him a terrific connector on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively, he guards either spot in the back-court and does a nice job of reading plays before they develop, allowing him to create plenty of turnovers on that end of the floor. Molloy and Bentley recently offered and I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t the last ones to pull the trigger for O’Connell, who does all the little things a coach looks for out of a lead guard at the next level.

I tweeted about O’Connell deserving a scholarship offer about a week ago, and it finally happened for him shortly before Sunday’s game. Against Newman, he showed that he has what it takes to play at that level. He defends with incredible physicality and toughness, and he’s quite good at sliding laterally while using his hands. His help-side defense is also beautiful to watch. Offensively, O’Connell always surprises me with his ability to get into the lane and finish with contact despite being undersized for the combo-guard position. The kid is just a competitor and a winner who makes all the right plays and never gets tired.

+15 (#63 to #48)

O’Connell, a guard out of Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, rose 15 spots in this update and now sits at #48 overall. O’Connell, a high academic prospect, continues to play with a high level of consistency and production. He can fill a bunch of roles offensively, playing as an on-ball creator, primary facilitator, or off-ball scoring spark. He makes shots with consistency from behind the arc, shows a good feel when operating as a handler in ball screens, and has the ability to make tough shots around the rim. On the other end of the floor, he can guard either back-court spot while also being a good rebounder in space.

O’Connell is literally the definition of a winner. He isn’t going to wow you with insane athleticism or quickness, but he makes all of the winning plays you need your glue guy to make—getting loose balls, fighting for long rebounds, defending every ball handler on the floor, and hitting shots when they matter most. Against Darrow, O’Connell was relatively silent offensively for most of the game before erupting in overtime for two threes and a breakaway steal/layup. He makes the right play at the right time and is going to do whatever you ask him to do as a coach. He’s a scholarship player despite his lack of size.

+40 (#104 to #64)

O’Connell, a guard out of Cushing Academy, jumped 40 spots in this rankings update. The high IQ lead guard has a great feel for the game with the ball in his hands, showing a nice feel as a decision maker out of ball screens and the ability to create for himself as an isolation scorer. He does a nice job of creating space with the bounce, has a quick first step when attacking the rim, and is capable of scoring at all three levels. He’s ultra competitive and is willing to take on tough defensive matchups, showing the ability to move his feet to stay in front of the ball and a high understanding of where to be in rotations.

O’Connell is a sound guard who has his fingerprints all over the game for his team. He has an effective mid-range shot that he showed he can convert. O’Connell is a crafty finisher around the cup and use’s his “quick-slowness” to catch defenders when they are sleeping. He has a tight handle and keeps the ball on the string. His activeness on the defensive end allows him to gather steals. I like the pulse he has on the game and is has some type of swagger about himself whenever he steps foot on the floor. O’Connell should be a priority for division two schools.

O’Connell, a member of the 17U HGSL squad, is a heady combo guard out of Cushing Academy. Operating both as an on-ball creator and off-ball scorer this spring, he’s shown the ability to impact a game in a variety of ways on the offensive end of the floor. He does a nice job of playing with a live dribble, probing the defense and working his way into the paint, where he can spray it out to shooters for open jumpers. As a scorer, he shows a high level feel for how to get open, does a nice job of getting into his shot quickly, and has elite footwork on the catch. Defensively, he is a strong on-ball defender, loves to compete on that end of the floor, and can generate plenty of steals and deflections on the perimeter.

OConnell seems to be the heart and soul of the Magic HGSL squad. The 6-foot-1 point guard is an absolute dog on defense and is constantly using his active hands and lateral quickness to beat offensive players to the spot for easy steals and charges. Offensively, he’s an and-one machine because he gets to two feet in the paint consistently and takes contact very well in the air. He can also knock down threes with ease and is always willing to make the extra pass. The Cushing Academy guard should be a solid role player for their squad next season and I would guess he’ll play D3 ball at the highest possible level.

OConnell is as solid as they come. During the showcase, he was knocking down three-balls left and right; off the catch, off the dribble, on the move, etc… he was hitting everything. When his shot wasn’t there, he was able to attack closeouts and use euro steps in the lane to carve out space for finishes, or he consistently made extra passes on the perimeter for easy shots. He’s always going to make the right play, and he can play any role you need him to. On Cushing, he’s a role player and little things guy. But on this Magic squad, he’s more of a playmaker and creator.