Liam McNeeley says KU & Kentucky are on his list of schools: McDonald’s media day
Liam McNeeley, the only participant in the 2024 McDonald’s All-America basketball game who has yet to finalize his college choice, on Monday mentioned Kansas as one of the schools that’s heavily involved in his recruitment.
McNeely spoke during media day festivities that included a 10-minute Zoom call with reporters. He shared his time slot at the interview session with future KU big man Flory Bidunga.
McNeeley said he’s considering KU, UConn, Kentucky, Houston, Michigan and other potential destinations.
“I’m sure there are more (schools) that I’m missing, but those are at the top of my mind,” McNeeley, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound senior small forward from Montverde (Florida) Academy.
“New Michigan head coach Dusty May said I was his first recruiting call. That was special,” McNeeley, who is originally from Richardson, Texas, told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi.
“Right now, my primary focus is preparing and practicing for the upcoming McDonald’s game,” he said of Tuesday’s live 8 p.m. showcase on ESPN at the Toyota Center in Houston. “And the Chipotle Nationals (Thursday-Saturday in Indianapolis). I am going to hold off any college visits until those basketball events have concluded.”
McNeeley decommitted from Indiana on March 7.
“While the 5-star wing declines to say much with his mouth (about his recruitment), his play certainly did some talking of its own,” Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com wrote of McNeeley’s performance at Monday’s short McDonald’s game workout.
“McNeeley hit a game winner at the buzzer during Sunday’s scrimmage and looked dialed in for much of the next day’s practice,” Cassidy added, “where he shot the ball well from deep and attacked the rim with regularity. McNeeley was one of the standouts of Monday’s brief workout and seems to be building momentum as he heads toward game day.”
McNeeley is ranked No. 11 in the recruiting Class of 2024 by ESPN.com, No. 13 by Rivals.com and No. 16 by 247sports.com.
Kansas has one incoming player competing in the McDonald’s game: Flory Bidunga, a 6-foot-9 senior center from Kokomo (Indiana) High, who chose KU over Duke, Michigan and Auburn in recruiting.
“It’s pretty wonderful to compete at a high level with these players over here. It’s a lot of good energy and you are just trying to just do the best that you can,” Bidunga, who is originally from Republic of Congo, said at media day.
Bidunga is ranked No. 6 in the recruiting Class of 2024 by Rivals.com, No. 9 by ESPN.com and No. 11 by 247sports.com.
Jalil Bethea, a 6-4 senior guard from Archbishop Wood in Warminster, Pennsylvania headed to Miami (Florida), won Monday night’s McDonald’s All-America game slam-dunk competition in Houston. Trent Perry, a 6-4 senior guard from Harvard Westlake High in Los Angeles (headed to USC), won the 3-point contest.
Here are the rosters for Tuesday’s McDonald’s All-America game:
East team: Jalil Bethea, 6-4 guard, Miami (Florida); John Bol, 7-1 center, Overtime Elite Academy, Mississippi; Isaiah Evans, 6-7 forward, Duke; Cooper Flagg, 6-9 forward, Duke; Johnuel Fland, 6-2 guard, Kentucky; Ian Jackson, 6-4 forward, North Carolina; Liam McNeeley, 6-7 forward, undecided; Tahaad Pettiford, 5-10 guard, Auburn; Drake Powell, 6-5 guard, North Carolina; Jayden Quaintance, 6-9 forward, Kentucky; Derik Queen, 6-9 center, Maryland; Bryson Tucker, 6-7 forward, Indiana.
West team: Airious Bailey, 6-8 forward, Rutgers; Flory Bidunga, 6-9 center, Kansas; Carter Bryant, 6-8 forward, Arizona; Vazoumana Diallo, 6-3 guard, Washington; Valdez Edgecombe, 6-4 guard, Baylor; Donavan Freeman, 6-7 forward, Syracuse; Dylan Harper, 6-5 guard, Rutgers; Richard Johnson, 6-6 guard, Texas; Karter Knox, 6-6 guard, Kentucky; Trent Perry, 6-4 guard, USC; Derrion Reid, 6-7 forward, Alabama; Aiden Sherrell, 6-11 center, Alabama.
