Jack's Take: Liam McNeeley Another Big Recruiting Win For Indiana, More To Come?
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The first domino fell Sunday, and it could be a sign of big things to come.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson maintained his recruiting momentum by landing Liam McNeeley, a five-star small forward and arguably the top 3-point shooter in the class of 2024. It’s another win over Kansas coach Bill Self, who Woodson beat for class of 2023 five-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako in May.
It also continues Woodson's success recruiting players from Montverde Academy in Florida, a basketball prep powerhouse that consistently produces NBA talent. It’s a bold strategy to go up against the top programs in the nation for these players, but Woodson is establishing a pipeline. Woodson first brought in Montverde products Jalen Hood-Schifino, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Malik Reneau in the class of 2022. McNeeley adds to the list, with another possibly on the way.
McNeeley gives Woodson one of the top high school players in the country as Indiana's first commitment in the class of 2024. The lack of commitments was beginning to draw some concern in mid-October, as nine Big Ten teams already have at least two commitments in this class.
But that concern should be put to rest, as McNeeley can be a building block for the remainder of this recruiting cycle. He’s an elite 3-point shooter, something Indiana hasn’t had enough of in recent years, and he is also a solid defender who plays with high basketball IQ.
It certainly helps to have a commitment from a player like McNeeley on board as Woodson puts together next year's freshman class. Indiana remains involved with other highly touted recruits like McNeeley's high school teammate Derik Queen, a five-star center, as well as five-star point guard Boogie Fland.
When McNeeley announced his commitment on ESPN, he had a old-fashioned phone in his lap. It's become a bit of a trademark for McNeeley, who typically does a phone call gesture after knocking down 3-point shots.
It's also a recruiting tool.
"My first call would be to the man right here, Derik Queen," McNeeley said. "We need Derik Queen to come be a Hoosier."
"Anybody else you want to call?" Paul Biancardi of ESPN asked.
"Boogie Fland. That call is coming. You know it," McNeeley said.
The phone call gesture has become a trademark celebration for Indiana basketball commit Liam McNeeley.
via @liammcneeley on Instagram
Fland is down to two schools, Indiana and Kentucky. Coach John Calipari has a strong track record of landing five-star guards and sending them to the NBA – Devin Booker, Jamal Murray and De’Aaron Fox, just to name a few – which is a trend that is attractive for players like Fland. But Woodson has also done so in his short time as a college coach, developing Hood-Schifino from a borderline one-and-done to a surefire first-round pick.
Maryland has long been seen as the favorite to land Queen, a Baltimore native, but other stiff competition remains in the mix. Queen has recently visited Kansas, Indiana, Houston and LSU, and his last visit is scheduled to Maryland next weekend.
If Indiana lands all three players, it could make for one of the best recruiting classes in program history. Even securing commitments from two would be a success. And from a positional standpoint, Indiana would fill various needs as each player is ranked within the top 20 of the 247 Sports Composite rankings.
McNeeley is the No. 5 small forward in his class, though all five are ranked in the top 15. Queen is the third-ranked center, behind Kansas commit Flory Bidunga and undecided Jayden Quaintance. Fland is the No. 2 combo guard, behind undecided Dylan Harper.
Indiana class of 2024 commit Liam McNeeley poses with Big Ten conference trophies during his official visit to Bloomington in September.
via @liammcneeley on Instagram
Since taking over before the 2021-22 season, Woodson has strongly believed that Indiana should be a destination for top recruits. He has stayed true to that promise, landing five-star recruits McNeeley, Mgbako and Jalen Hood-Schifino in three consecutive classes.
Some questioned Woodson’s recruiting ability when he took the Indiana job because he hadn’t done it as an NBA coach, but those concerns have already been proven wrong before the start of Woodson’s third season.
"When I took this job, I made it clear to my staff that we had to go and recruit the best players," Woodson said Wednesday. "And they were like, 'Damn, you just got here. You just can't go to the top.' And I'm like, 'Why not?' I think we've positioned ourselves to be able to sit at the table with all the top players. That's not to say you're going to get them, but if you're not sitting there, then you don't have an opportunity at all."
Indiana got one of the best Sunday in McNeeley – and that’s an encouraging sign the Hoosiers could add another one or two soon.
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