Liam McNeeley: Kentucky, Kansas, More Have Reached out After Indiana Decommitment

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIMarch 29, 2024

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Five-star forward Liam McNeeley, who is ranked No. 15 overall on the 247Sports composite high school men’s basketball class of 2024 list, revealed that he’s spoken to Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Houston and Michigan (among others) following his decommitment from Indiana.

“Moving forward, I have had contact with several schools, including Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Houston and many others,” McNeeley said. “New Michigan head coach Dusty May said I was his first recruiting call. That was special.”

“Right now, my primary focus is preparing and practicing for the upcoming McDonald’s game and Chipotle Nationals. I am going to hold off any college visits until those basketball events have concluded.”

McNeeley also made clear that he spoke directly with Indiana head coach Mike Woodson to reveal his decommitment.

“I personally reached out to Indiana, spoke with Coach Mike Woodson and had a direct conversation with him,” McNeeley said. “I expressed my utmost respect for Coach Woodson, Indiana University and their devoted fan base.”

McNeeley is a 6’7″ small forward who played for Monteverde Academy in Florida alongside Duke commit and No. 1 overall prospect Cooper Flagg.

McNeeley is a very accomplished player in his own right, earning a spot as the No. 4 ranked player at his position and heading to multiple national showcases for the game’s top high school player later this year.

McNeeley’s decommitment from Indiana, which occurred earlier this month, came at a time of uncertainty and struggles for the program.

Woodson is returning, but that’s amid speculation and rumors that the school would part ways after a disappointing campaign that ended with a 27-point loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.

Indiana ended up finishing 19-14 (10-10 Big Ten) and missed out on the NCAA tournament. As of now, 4-star small forward Bryson Tucker (No. 20 overall) is the only commitment for the class of 2024.

As for some of McNeeley’s new suitors, Houston has become a perennial 30-game winner under head coach Kelvin Sampson and just finished first in the Big 12 regular season standings in its first season in the league. McNeeley would contribute to a great program right away.

Kentucky has had its share of NCAA tournament struggles in recent years, but the NBA track record continues, with Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard both potentially looking like top-five picks in the upcoming NBA draft.

Per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Indiana initially won out over Kansas and Texas. Although Kansas’ season ended with a tough second-round loss to Gonzaga, the team is always in the national championship conversation and won one in 2022. Texas is a program that’s fared very well of late, including an Elite Eight finish in 2023.

Ultimately, McNeeley has a host of options as his disposal, and his eventual team will land a promising 5-star prospect who could very well be an NBA lottery pick someday.