NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of New Mexico of last decade
By Joey Loose
5. Cullen Neal – New Mexico / Ole Miss / Saint Mary’s
Considered a top 100 recruit and a star at the high school level, Neal is a 6’5 guard who starred in Albuquerque. He began his collegiate career in 2013 under his father Craig, who had just become head coach at nearby New Mexico but missed most of his sophomore season with an ankle injury. Neal battled more than injuries and later transferred to Ole Miss for his redshirt junior season before spending his final collegiate year in the WCC at Saint Mary’s, completing a wild collegiate journey.
Neal was an important piece for the Lobos after a meager freshman season but wasn’t always the most consistent player. Still, he averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 assists per game the year after that injury, including a career-high 29 points against Oral Roberts. Neal then averaged 9.4 points per game at Ole Miss, helping the Rebels to a 5th place finish in the SEC and a trip to the NIT semifinals. In that final season at Saint Mary’s, he was a bench player, though he did have a decent 18-point outing in a loss to Gonzaga, with his career not exactly ending the way he had hoped.
Neal was an impressive talent, but a combination of injuries and inconsistency might not have allowed him to showcase that talent. He was an important piece on his father’s Lobos team, ranking among the MWC’s leaders in a number of categories. His seasons at Ole Miss and Saint Mary’s seemed a bit disappointing and his career ended with a bit of a whisper. His basketball career continued overseas, but he’s recently begun coaching, joining the staff at Rice a few months ago.