In the News:
Coast-to-coast: O’Connell trades Maryland lacrosse for Stanford hoops - Stanford Daily
Career Highlights:
- CoSIDA Academic All-District (2022)
- Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (2022, 2023)
- NABC Honor Roll (2023)
- Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (Feb. 1, 2021)
As a Junior (2022-23):
- NABC Honor Roll
- Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll
- Appeared in 33 games with 28 starts
- Averaged 5.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game
- Scored a career-best 22 points in Stanford’s upset of No. 4 Arizona (Feb. 11)
- Dished a career-best 12 assists against Washington (Feb. 26), which is tied for seventh most in a single game in Stanford history and was the most assists by any conference player in a Pac-12 game over the course of the season
- Ended the season ranked 15th in program history in assists (285)
- Ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in assists and fifth in assist to turnover ratio. Had five or more helpers in a game eight times
- Finished second on the team in steals
As a Sophomore (2021-22):
- CoSIDA Academic All-District
- Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll
- Appeared in 31 games with 30 starts
- Averaged 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game, led the team in the latter two categories
- Ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in assists per game
- In double figures seven times, scored a season-best 16 points twice, vs. Arizona State (Jan. 22) and at Arizona (March 3)
- Tied a career-best with eight assists vs. Liberty (Dec. 23) in the Diamond Head Classic
- Led the team in assists 18 times
- Posted the best assist-to-turnover ratio at the Pac-12 Tournament (11-to-1) and the Diamond Head Classic (6.5-to-1).
As a Freshman (2020-21):
- Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (Feb. 1)
- Appeared in 25 games with 18 starts, averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Numbers improved to 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in Pac-12 play
- Scored a career-high 20 points against USC (Feb. 2)
- Had 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists against Oregon State (Jan. 4). First Stanford player with at least 12-7-8 in a game since Brevin Knight had 18-7-10 on March 14, 1997
- Set a new program record with 52 minutes played against Washington State (Feb. 20)
- Co-led team with 32 steals. Ranks seventh in program history among freshmen for steals in a season.
- Ranks seventh in free throw percentage (.787) and assists (71) in Stanford's freshman record book.
Prior to Stanford:
- Fifth prospect to sign for Stanford, part of top-rated recruiting class in the Pac-12. Rated four stars by 24/7, and the No. 100 recruit in the country. Three-star point guard by Rivals.
- First prospect since recruiting databases began to be rated a top-100 recruit in both basketball (247 Sports) and lacrosse (Inside Lacrosse).
- Averaged 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals per game as a senior for Blair Academy (N.J.). Previously played for Chaminade High School (N.Y.).
- First team All-State New Jersey Prep A, First team All-MAPL for Blair Academy in 2019-20. 2019-20 MAPL Champions for Coach Joe Mantegna.
- First Team All-New York State A for Chaminade in 2018-19 for Chaminade with Coach Bob Paul.
- Three-time NSCHSAA All-League, and 2018-19 Long Island Catholic League Player of the Year for Chaminade.
- Finished his high school career with 1,700 points (Blair and Chaminade combined).
- Two-time MVP of the Long Island Alzheimer All-Star Classic representing Nassau County.
- Two-time Newsday All-Long Island Basketball selection in 2017-18 (second team) and 2018-19 (first team) with Chaminade.
- Played AAU Basketball for the New York Rising Stars and Coach Dan Gimpel.
- Was a four-star lacrosse recruit, rated No. 81 nationally by Inside Lacrosse. Had committed to Maryland in lacrosse.
- Three-time Under Armour Underclass Lacrosse All-American in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
- Helped lead Chaminade Lacrosse to the 2018 Long Island Catholic League Championship and New York State AAA Championship under Coach Jack Moran.
- Brother, Thomas, was a four-year lacrosse standout and 2017 National Champion at Maryland who grad transferred to St. John’s to play basketball for his graduate season.
- Father, Tim, went to St. John's, and mother, Tara, was a two-time All-Big East selection for St. John’s in softball.
- Uncle Andrew O'Connell played basketball for Albany, aunt Theresa O'Connell played basketball for Lafayette, and uncle Jamie O'Connell played basketball for Central Connecticut.
Quotable: “The more I got to know Michael and his family, the more excited I became. Michael is a born leader and proven competitor - the type of person that will thrive in our culture. He is invested, tough, and selfless. He is a winner, and will immediately come in and improve our program. His success playing a variety of sports at such a high level proves how special of an athlete he is, and he will only continue to improve on the basketball court over his career at Stanford.” - Jerod Haase