NORTHEAST KINGDOM – Several area former high school stars are making it at the next level this winter on the hardcourt for their respective college basketball programs.
Danville’s all-time leading scorer and state champion Andrew Joncas is on the roster this winter for the VTSU-Lyndon men’s basketball team. Joncas denied Twinfield-Cabot a trip to the Division IV Final last March in a thriller before leading Danville to a state title over top seeded West Rutland. The 5’10” shooting guard scored his first career college points last month against SUNY-Canton. The Hornets are 1-3 on the season and will be back in action SUNY-Cobleskill on Friday and SUNY-Delhi on Saturday.
Former Winooski standout Tre Bradley is a key component this season for his VTSU-Johnson men’s basketball team. The 5’7” sophomore guard was a thorn in the side of Hazen Union for four years, including a win in the 2023 division III state title game. Bradley has played all five games for the Badgers this season, including one start. He scored a career-high 15 points against VTSU-Lyndon in an early November match-up.
Richford’s multi-sport sensation Kyrielle Deuso has transitioned seamlessly at the next level for the VTSU-Castleton women’s basketball team in her freshman season. Deuso graduated from Richford last spring with several all-time records in multiple sports, winning championships in both soccer and softball. She terrorized Twinfield-Cabot, Hazen Union and Cal United in all three sports since her eighth grade season. The 5’3” point guard has started four of five games for the Lady Spartans, scoring double-digits against Norwich and Hartwick last month. Joining Deuso on the roster is former Proctor star Maggie McKearin and West Rutland’s Arianna Coombs and Bella Coombs. Former Lyndon Institute multi-sport standout Ethan Lussier made the roster as a freshman for the Spartan men’s team and is teammates with senior Connor McKearin of Proctor.
St. Johnsbury (SJA) Academy’s Cassidy Kittredge is averaging nearly 10 points per game for the Norwich women’s basketball team as a freshman and Spaulding’s Riley Severy is averaging seven points per game for the Cadet men’s team in his junior year. Playing alongside Kittredge is former Oxbow star Maggie Ellsworth. The 5’7” freshman guard is averaging nearly 10 points and five rebounds a game, including a season-high 18 points against Gordon last month.
Former SJA sharpshooter Jasmine Mooney is averaging 14 points per game in her senior season with VTSU-Randolph. Mooney has started all six games for the Lady Knights this season.
