Indiana 5-star SF Liam McNeeley requests NLI release from Hoosiers
Liam McNeeley will not be headed to Bloomington after all. The 6-foot-7 small forward out of Montverde Academy (FL) has requested to be released from his National Letter of Intent (NLI) to Indiana and will reopen his recruitment.
The five-star senior committed to the Hoosiers in October, before signing his NLI in November during the early period. He ultimately chose IU over Kansas, but also considered Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, and others.
According to the On3 Industry Rankings, McNeeley is the No. 15 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle. He’s also the No. 6 small forward prospect and the No. 3 player in Florida. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Scouting Report
“Liam McNeeley can shoot the basketball. That is probably his feature tool, but he is more than just a shooter. With good positional size, 6-foot-7, he can straight line drive a sloppy close-out, knock down a one, and two-dribble pull-up, and is a smart off-ball cutter. McNeeley is a good team defender; he understands footwork and angles well. He also rotates properly and is not afraid to step in and take a charge. While there will be on-the-ball questions, he is good with deflections and defending off the ball. His hips appear a little stiff, which comes into play with some change of direction situations. Mom played D-1 basketball, and so did two uncles and grandfather.” – On3’s Jamie Shaw
About Liam McNeeley
Originally from Richardson, Texas, Liam McNeeley has played at three different high school programs in his career. He started out at Pearce High School in the Dallas area, then moved to John Paul II High School in Plano, Texas, before landing at basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida for the 2022-2023 season. As a sophomore at John Paul II, McNeeley averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. He helped John Paul II win the TAPPS 6A state championship. “I try to be as versatile as I can,” McNeeley told On3’s Jamie Shaw. “I stretch the floor, obviously watching me with Montverde. I can shoot the 3. I’ll also put it on the floor to create for my teammates and sometimes get to the rim. I watch a lot of Luka Doncic. He is my favorite player on my favorite team. I like his ability to create opportunities, and I think he’s the best passer in the league.”
During the 2022 AAU season, McNeeley led Nike’s EYBL 16U Circuit in scoring, with more 24 per game, which led to a call-up to the 17U level in May. He then averaged 14.5 points in 15 games playing up with the Drive Nation program. McNeely also won a gold medal with the 2021 USA Basketball U16 National Team.