Baltimore guards headline Vt. school's roster
When Jesse Bopp landed the boys basketball coaching job at Vermont Academy, the former Florida and Virginia Commonwealth graduate assistant knew exactly where to look for talent to fill out his roster.
Bopp, who played at Plymouth (N.H.) State and ran his own AAU program on the side, worked his East Coast connections and was led to Baltimore, where two future Division I players – an under-the-radar veteran and a rising young talent – were looking for a change in atmosphere.
The first Baltimore addition was Keron DeShields, a former Towson Catholic guard and Pallotti’s star player last winter. The West Baltimore native spent the summer with Baltimore Assault and considered going to prep school in South Carolina. By the middle of June, however, DeShields was on board with Bopp’s new squad in Saxtons River, Vt.
“He’s very mature but he’s only 17, so he’s young,” Bopp said. “He’s as mature as they come. Probably some of that maturity comes from the environment of a city like Baltimore. You have to take on those challenges, and he took them on. There were influences like Mike Lloyd, who played at Syracuse, played at Dunbar, and his mother. They really showed Keron what it’s about in terms of living and being a man and taking things on, using basketball as much as possible. And I think [former Towson Catholic star and Sacramento Kings forward] Donte Greene has had an effect on him, explaining to him what work ethic is and having a high threshold for pain, putting yourself in a position for having success through working hard. He just has this desire to be the best.”
Bopp’s second roster acquisition from Baltimore came together in August. Daquein McNeil, one of the area’s top freshmen last winter at Carver, was looking to leave the city for his last three years of high school. With DeShields already in the fold, it didn’t take long for Bopp to convince McNeil to join the party.
“When Daquein first came into the picture, as soon as he got up here, it was just a match made in heaven because of the difference in environment and having a familiar face like Keron here, especially because of Keron’s character,” Bopp said. “He is an unbelievable connector of people and has the ability to take kids under his wing, especially with Day-Day. I’m really happy Keron’s here, and helping him with the process of acclimating to a rural environment. It’s kind of a different adjustment.”
With DeShields, Bopp saw a player just scratching the surface of his potential. DeShields didn’t see a ton of time when he played for Towson Catholic, but he was a prolific scorer for Pallotti and had an eye-opening summer on the AAU circuit. While Bopp says DeShields’ “talent level probably exceeds where his recruitment is at,” several mid-major schools are involved.
“Off the bat, I love Quinnipiac University,” DeShields said. “I like Morgan State, I like Elon University. I also like UNC-Wilmington and the University of New Hampshire. They called me and I fell in love with the coach because he’s a real honest dude. So that’s cool, too. I’m just trying to play. I have mid-majors right now, but who knows? Like my coach says, you might have high-level Division I [schools] at the door after putting in the work.”
Said Bopp: “He’s waking me up at 5:30 in the morning to work out. He loves the gym, he loves to work, and he knows he’s got room for growth. A lot of kids talk about being good, but they don’t necessarily do the things that allow them to get there. But he expects to be good and he does the things he needs to do to be good. And I think just from a leadership, intangible standpoint, he’s extremely competitive as well as just a tough, tough kid who takes on challenges from anyone. He gets other people fired up about taking on challenges. He’s really impressive, and he’s great to have, especially when you’re starting a program. To have a guy that can really echo the message that you want to is [really important].”
McNeil, meanwhile, showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman at Carver. He followed that up with a strong performance over the summer with Nike Baltimore Elite, including a stint with the 17-and-under squad at the Rose City Showcase in Oregon. MidAtlanticHoops.com rates McNeil the top rising sophomore from Baltimore and the No. 6 prospect in the region.
“I think for Daquein, the sky is the limit,” Bopp said. “He has some gifts as a player -- his ability to shoot the ball, the ability to get in the lane with his length and his athleticism. He’s just extremely gifted, and just a super worker. He works in the gym and he’s a player that loves to compete. For the Baltimore guards, I think he is the one to make a name for himself. He’s an unbelievable scorer. I wouldn’t describe him as a shooter. I’d call him a scorer, but he can really get it going and really hurt you in a lot of different ways.”
Playing a national schedule of powerhouse prep programs should raise McNeil’s profile even more, but several high-major schools have already been in contact.
“University of Maryland has visited and the University of Washington [was coming in],” Bopp said. “He’s got interest from Oklahoma and Georgetown. But I think obviously with Daquein’s relationship with [Terps assistant coach] Bino [Ranson], that puts Maryland in a good position on his list. Washington, coming out to see him play [is big], but I think it’s early for Daquein to really have a list. But I think it’ll come down to the staff and who he really feels comfortable with. His relationship with Bino, I think Maryland’s in the driver’s seat because of their relationship. That would put them in good position.”
DeShields has known McNeil for years, dispensing advice and showing him the ropes on the court. McNeil said playing with DeShields was definitely a draw for him to come to Vermont.
“It’s so good just to get out and get exposure and just travel,” McNeil said. “Being able to travel and play in a different state is just wonderful.”
While the transition from Baltimore to Vermont has been a drastic one, DeShields couldn’t be happier with the start to his school year.
“I’m definitely excited,” DeShields said. “But I definitely want to be the best. That’s what I want to be.”
