NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 5 new contenders for 5-star wing Liam McNeeley
In the offseason, there are usually some changes that happens with coaching staffs and rosters that causes some decisions to be made among the incoming freshmen class. We've seen a couple already, including 5-star wing prospect Liam NcNeeley deciding to de-commit from Indiana.
The 6'7 small forward is originally from Texas and plays for the prestigious Montverde Academy. The consensus top-20 player in the 2024 NCAA Basketball recruiting class is a quality shooter and can score in a number of ways. His size makes his a legit offensive prospect for college teams and even though it won't be at Indiana, a big-name school is going to land him.
But which one? Reportedly, there are some programs that have stood out in the second recruitment for McNeeley. Here's a closer look at how he'd fit with each of them at this current point in the offseason.
Uncommitted five-star Liam McNeeley, a former Indiana signee, names Kansas, UConn, Kentucky, Houston and Michigan as teams that have been recruiting him since he reopened his process.
— Rob Cassidy (@Cassidy_Rob) April 1, 2024
He does not intend to have a decision until after his season, which ends in roughly two weeks
Houston Cougars
If there was ANY question as to how good the Cougars would be in the Big 12 this season, that was easily answered right out the gate, winning their first regular-season title. They're a team that had success with their only other five-star freshman out of high school, with Jarace Walker being a lottery pick a couple of years ago. Coach Sampson's history of development now has him in position to land all of the top teams.
With McNeeley coming from Texas, that also works in Houston's favor as well. The biggest question is whether there's a clear role for him, as they're waiting for both Jamal Shead and LJ Cryer to decide on their extra years of eligibility. If both come back, McNeeley likely won't start for at least the first year.