Ranking the Contenders: Four-star Liam McNeeley
The No. 25 prospect in the class of 2024, Liam McNeeley is having a stellar freshman season at Montverde Academy and it could raise his rankings stock even further when the Rivals150 gets a refresh.
McNeeley’s recruitment is every bit as intriguing as his skill set, however, as perceived frontrunner Texas is in the midst of a sudden coaching change, opening the door for a number of programs to climb into the picture.
Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy ranks the contenders to land McNeeley’s pledge as they stand today,
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1. INDIANA
The Hoosiers were probably running in a solid second place until former Texas head coach Chris Beard was fired after being arrested and charged with felony assault. These days, the Hoosiers occupy the top spot based on the uncertainty in Austin and McNeeley’s familiarity with Indiana and its coaching staff.
The four-star wing visited Bloomington in late September and it feels as though McNeeley has been the program's top 2024 target ever since. His former high school teammates Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau both currently play for Indiana and would provide some level of familiarity should the Hoosiers win out.
Things are subject to change as McNeeley takes additional official visits and Texas works out its coaching situation. Still, for ==the time being, Mike Woodson and company should love where they stand.
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2. TEXAS
The sudden coaching change certainly was a massive hit to Texas’s bow when it comes to landing McNeeley, but the burnt orange ship isn’t sunk all together. Of course, how things play out will depend on UT’s hire. Texas seems unlikely to retain interim head coach Rodney Terry, but doing so would likely help land the recruits with whom he already has relationships.
McNeeley is obviously included on such a list. That said, a splash hire could also do the trick. McNeeley has some level of adoration for the Longhorns, having grown up in the Dallas suburbs, even if his father attended Texas A&M. The quicker Texas hires this offseason, the better chance it will give itself to reclaim its front-runner status.
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3. OKLAHOMA
If McNeeley is set on playing college basketball relatively close to home and things with Texas don’t work out, the Sooners could find a way to move up the list. Oklahoma's Norman campus is just a 2.5-hour drive from the wing’s Plano, Texas, hometown.
The fact that second-year head coach Porter Moser feels to have the Sooners headed in the right direction after last year’s 19-16 finish may also bode well. McNeely has taken an unofficial visit to Norman and may or may not return for an official. OU has an uphill fight on its hands here, but stranger things have happened.
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4. DUKE
Let’s call Duke a live underdog for now, as the Blue Devils are yet to make things official with a scholarship offer. The sharks are circling, however, as head coach Jon Scheyer and company stay in close contact with McNeeley and may well bring him in on an official visit this year.
Should an offer materialize, the Blue Devils could shoot up near the top of this list in a hurry based on pedigree and the success players in McNeeley’s mold have found there over the years. Texas and Indiana could get a lot less comfortable at the top of this list if Scheyer and company decide to dial up the pressure.
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5. STANFORD
Stanford would need to catch a break or two in order to have any realistic shot of landing McNeeley, but the four-star prospect has continually stated that he’ll take an official visit to Palo Alto, so it’s difficult to discard the Cardinal entirely. A possible end-of-season coaching change looms, however, as it certainly feels as though head coach Jerod Haase is coaching for his job after amassing a just-above-.500 record in seven seasons at the helm.
It’s conceivable that a coaching change could re-energize the program and convince McNeely that things have stabilized, but it could just as easily be the death blow for the Cardinal in the race to land his pledge. A Stanford education is still a Stanford education, however, so the program will have a puncher’s chance regardless of who sits in the big chair next season.