Transfer Shareef O'Neal Wants to Leave His Own Legacy At LSU, Talks 'Family Atmosphere' That Drew Him to Tigers
Although the 2019–20 season was cut short before tournament play, Will Wade and LSU have a ton to look forward to in the upcoming season, specifically with a loaded recruiting class highlighted by two key transfers.
Georgetown transfer and Baton Rouge native Josh Leblanc averaged 8.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in 39 appearances with the Hoyas before entering the NCAA transfer portal amid legal issues.
Another major pickup came from UCLA forward Shareef O’Neal, son of former LSU great Shaquille O’Neal, who confirmed his commitment to LSU to Sports Illustrated on Feb. 14. He enjoyed his experience in Los Angeles, but O’Neal says it wasn’t the right fit for him in the end.
“LSU was one of the first schools that recruited me,” O’Neal told Bleacher Report. “I feel like when I went there to visit it was like home. They didn’t really talk about my dad one time. That’s kind of what stood out to me. Even though there’s a statue outside the gym [of Shaq], they didn't say ‘We want you to be your dad.’ The LSU family is just—they were just really supportive.”
O’Neal’s role will likely be predicated on which of the current players choose to declare for the 2020 NBA draft. But with coronavirus concerns continuing to wreak havoc across the sports world, you might see more players choosing to return to school with the combine up in the air.
Sophomore forward Emmitt Williams, sophomore guard Javonte Smart, freshman forward Trendon Watford and sophomore forward Darius Days are the four underclassmen expected to make their decisions on whether or not to test the NBA waters in May.
Last season, depth was the biggest concern surrounding the LSU program. If two of the four underclassmen listed above return, the Tigers should be in great shape. And with seven highly-touted prospects set to arrive on campus, numbers have become less of an issue. In fact, freshman guard James Bishop decided to enter his name into the transfer portal on Sunday because his playing time would’ve likely been limited. Bishop has already committed to George Washington.
No matter the circumstances, O’Neal is just excited to pick up the basketball again. Whether the shots go in or not, being on the court is a blessing—especially at a place like LSU.
“Even though I couldn’t really score when I was in the game [at UCLA], when I was in the game for a couple of minutes I was just happy to be able to put on the jersey again,” O’Neal told Bleacher Report in an interview. “If I shot, and I missed it, I was just happy to be able to shoot the shot.”
O’Neal took to Twitter on Wednesday to show his excitement, saying ‘I wanna go to school !!’ with a picture attached of the LSU Tiger eye. It’s certainly way too early to tell, but the Tigers appear to be in for another fun season at the Maravich Center come November.
