High-major programs in pursuit of four-star Paul McNeil

Class of 2024 four-star Paul McNeil had very impressive high school and grassroots seasons, and his recruitment has started to pick up steam over the last couple of months. After winning North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore, McNeil has decided to enroll in Prolific Prep for this upcoming season, and will be moving out west very soon.

The 6-foot-5 wing went in-depth with Rivals about some of the schools in hot pursuit for his services.

*****

2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2024 Rankings: Top 125

Transfer Portal: Latest news

*****

Programs involved: “Georgetown, Illinois, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, NC State, Clemson and UCLA are some newer schools that have been in touch.”

Georgetown: “I like their playing style. They can probably help be become a better basketball player. They like me as a person and they feel like they can build me up to play at the next level and get to the NBA. You’ve got coach Patrick Ewing, you know he’s got a world of knowledge and understanding. They have good communication skills and a good system.”

Illinois: “I talk to coach (Chester) Frazier. He really likes my game and they think I can help win in the Big Ten, and win a natty. He really loves my game, him and the coaching staff. They believe in me a lot and trust me.”

Ohio State: “They were telling me about how they trust me and they feel like I’d fit their program well, and that I can run a wing well. Their playing style fits me perfect. The coaching staff that’s there has been there and they’ve already got the knowledge and they can just tell me to do it, and I’ll just understand it.”

Georgia Tech: “They love my game also. They said they’re going to be on me and no matter what happens, they’ll be there.”

NC State: “Coach (Kevin) Keatts says there won’t be another coach that’ll be there like him. He’ll always be there before my games and be there whenever he can. How they did TJ Warren, they’d let me do that and let me rock out and lead them to a championship.”

Clemson: “The coaches tell me that whatever happens, I’ll always have a home there. They won’t let me down because I won’t let them down. They’re on me hard and they would push me every day to be great. They love me so much up there.”

UCLA: “They’ve got interest in me. They’ve been recruiting me pretty hard, but whenever I get out to California, it’ll get better.”

Relationships seem very key in McNeil’s recruitment, and he will play for a coaching staff that loves him at the next level. He’s a versatile wing that can fill up the scoring column in a hurry, and will likely benefit from the everyday grind of Prolific Prep. This recruitment is wide open, and no visits have been planned yet. Once those start happening, it’ll be a good indicator of where the four-star wing’s head is at.