Bedford’s Justin O’Neill looking to turn heads in post-grad year at Tilton
BEDFORD, N.H. (BVM) — After a senior season that led to awards like first Team All-State NHIAA and runner-up NHIAA D1 Player of the Year, Bedford’s Justin O’Neill is looking to continue his growth on the basketball court during a post-grad season at Tilton School.
Recognition is a long time coming for the 6-foot-7 forward, who first cracked the varsity lineup his sophomore year at Bedford High School. After limited time in that first year, the two-year captain would become a lock on the team, boasting some special performances his senior year like a 26-point, 10-rebound night against Nashua North and a 21-point game against Exeter.
Even with an impressive senior season, O’Neill wouldn’t garner the collegiate attention he had hoped for. Still wanting to play at the next level, he would decide on an extra season before taking the jump to the college level.
“I was in contact with a bunch of local Division III schools in the area,” O’Neill said. “I had those [programs] heading into my senior season and then the same group ending. I had heard from a couple local Division II’s but none of them were willing to give me anything in terms of a real spot or offer on the team, so I had to think about what I wanted in college.
“I decided that I really wanted to compete for a scholarship whether that be Division II or maybe even a Division I if I had the chance, so I decided to take the post-grad route.”
The post-grad route would mean a move to Tilton where O’Neill hopes to put his name on the map. After a difficult offseason due to Covid-19, O’Neill would look to build on his game in the weight room and during his time playing AAU.
“Outside of basketball I was really just trying to get stronger because I knew some of the physicality was a lot different at the NEPSAC level,” O’Neill said. “Really try to focus on what I thought my role was going to be, being someone who was able to hit shots and then be able to make plays off the catch.”
For O’Neill, getting stronger against some of the better competition in the NEPSAC has already started to pay dividends.
“Absolutely, I think it’s also helped me on the defensive end too because now I’m able to stay in front of people more and be a little more physical without fouling,” O’Neill said when asked if getting stronger has affected his game. “That’s huge playing against guys that are a little faster, a little stronger here. I think I’ve also been able to have a little more success in the post too, just being able to hold my ground and not get pushed around like I would have before.”
The transition to a higher skill set has been an adjustment for O’Neill but he’s looking forward to showcasing himself at a higher level.
“It’s a complete difference from what I’m used to, at least from high school coming from Bedford,” O’Neill said. “The game is a lot more physical, the guys are a lot bigger, faster, and overall more skilled. I think [there’s] a lot more game knowledge, like knowing when to shoot, when to pass, when to drive has to come in, because it’s not as easy just to get any shot right away. It was a little bit of a learning experience at first playing with new guys and trying to find my role, but overall, I think I like the difference.”
With Tilton’s season just beginning, O’Neill is hoping his hard work pays off, already hearing from a couple of different collegiate schools. Even with his eyes set on getting noticed, his sole focus will always be on winning.
“The main goal for me, and pretty much everyone on the team, is to get your name out there and overall just get recruited,” O’Neill said. “But at the same time, I want to win games too. So with pretty much a brand new team, it was just a big thing for everyone to find their role and find out where you can be most successful in helping the team [win games].”
