Interest rising for three-star P.J. Neal
RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings
P.J. Neal did exactly a good point guard should do this year as a sophomore. The three-star point guard elevated the play of his team to a 20-14 record as Houston Heights made its first appearance in the state playoffs in Texas since moving up to 6A. Neal averaged 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists along the way.
College coaches have started to take notice of the 2021 prospect lately as well. Interest is coming in from Houston, Purdue, Rice, TCU, Texas A&M and UTSA early on. Neal has already been on campus at Houston, TCU and Texas A&M.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Neal talked about some of his visits, thoughts on Purdue, and schools he hopes to hear from in the future.
Houston: “I liked it. The campus was nice and they are winning, so that’s great. They have a great staff and I like how they are making it into a powerhouse. They get the most out of their players.”
Purdue: “I like them because they let Carsen Edwards get the ball and dominate and they just trust their players to make plays.”
TCU: “I like them because their team all plays well together and they are always locked in.”
Texas A&M: “The campus was huge. I like their guard play. I just liked it overall.”
On programs he would like to hear from: “Kansas and Texas. I just have always been a fan of those two schools. With Kansas, they got Quintin Grimes and I like their facilities. The coach gets a lot out of their players. Texas has had a lot of good guards come out here in Houston.”
RIVALS' REACTION
It’s incredibly hard to handicap Neal’s recruitment at this point just because he’s so early in the process and doesn’t have any offers yet. It does sound like he’s very interested in some of the in-state schools, especially Houston and Texas. Purdue could have a great shot as well given the success Houston native Carsen Edwards has had with the Boilermakers. If Neal gets to the level that Kansas comes calling, it’s pretty clear that could be a tough one for him to turn down. The picture with Neal should be a lot clearer in a few months after he gets going with Houston Hoops 16U.