By Tiffany Williams –
WORCESTER, Mass. — The record doesn’t scream powerhouse. The gym isn’t packed with NBA scouts. But don’t tell Camdyn Shoesmith this is small-time basketball.
On Saturday, Worcester State University knocked off Salem State University 91-81 for its third straight win, pushing its conference mark to 9-3 and its overall record to 11-12. Not dominant. Not dazzling. But trending up.
And in the middle of that surge? A 6-foot-4, 235-pound forward/center from Bedford who plays like he’s auditioning for something bigger.
Shoesmith, a business major at Worcester State and the son of Paul and Lola Shoesmith, was born in Boston and built his game the old-fashioned way — four years of varsity ball at Bedford High School. Jersey No. 20. Two years as a starter. Captain. MVP for a conference tournament. First Team All-Conference. First Team All-County. Conference Champions. Sectional Champions. Regional Champions. Final 4. Final 4 in states. Player of the week in Boston Globe – 2023.
That’s not hype. That’s résumé.
Now he’s grinding at the college level, and the numbers don’t jump off the page at first glance — 4.4 points per game overall, 4.7 in conference play. But dig deeper and you see efficiency and muscle. He’s shooting 55.3 percent from the field overall and 57.9 percent in conference games. He’s 12-for-14 from the free throw line overall and a perfect 8-for-8 in conference play. No 3-point attempts. No wasted motion. This is paint work. This is elbows and rebounds.
Through 22 games, he’s logged 304 minutes, pulled down 77 rebounds, dished out 21 assists and posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8 overall — 3.0 in conference play. He’s committed 12 turnovers all season. That’s controlled basketball.
In WSU’s last three straight wins, Shoesmith has scored 17 points. Not 17 a night — 17 across the stretch. But this isn’t about gaudy scoring totals. It’s about impact. About energy. About being the kind of forward who does the dirty work while others chase the spotlight.
Worcester State is 6-4 at home. It’s 9-3 in conference play. And at .750 in conference, that’s not mediocrity — that’s contention.
Shoesmith’s path wasn’t built in some five-star pipeline. It ran through Bedford High, Middlesex Magic, Mass Elite and years of club grind in the ZGXL circuit. Four seasons of club experience. Spring. Fall. Repeat.
He’s started three games this year. Just three. But he’s making the most of 13.8 minutes per game. Points per 40 minutes? 12.6 overall. In conference? 14.5.
Translation: Give him starter’s minutes and the production climbs.
At 235 pounds, he’s not floating around the perimeter. He’s banging. He’s carving space. He’s finishing at a 55 percent clip. That’s efficiency coaches love and box scores often undersell.
Worcester State may not be a Division I brand. But Shoesmith plays like someone who believes his ceiling isn’t capped by division labels.
Three straight wins. A conference record that matters. And a forward from Bedford playing every possession like it’s a proving ground.