Why Indiana and pitching it to friends
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Liam McNeeley is a lone wolf — at least for now. A five-star commit ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2024 per 247Sports, is the lone member of the Hoosiers incoming recruiting class so far.
McNeeley, a 6-7, 210-pound small forward, caught up with IndyStar at the Spalding Hoophall Classic fresh off a sold-out contest where his ESPN SCNext Top 25 boys No. 1 Montverde Academy topped No. 7 Prolific Prep, 76-71, at Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield College Sunday evening. McNeeley finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.
This interview was edited for clarity. Q: You play for the top-ranked high school team in the country with five of the top-50 ranked seniors. What have you learned from being one of many stars?
A: Last year was my first time playing with this amount of talent. There’s just such a different speed and physicality to the game, even every day in practice. It forces you to learn how to play with other great players.
Q: Why Indiana?
Coach (Mike) Woody (Woodson) was just on me. He was always consistent. (Assistant) coach (Brian) Walsh was always consistent. Coach Woody’s an NBAstyle coach, and that’s where I’m trying to go.
Q: Favorite moment in Bloomington so far?
A: I was there for the game vs. Kennesaw State and got to throw out t-shirts to the crowd. That was really cool.
Q: Since committing to Indiana in October, how closely have you followed the team?
A: There’re a lot of times where we have games at the same time, but every time I’m able to watch those games. I’m always checking ESPN scores if I don’t get to watch it.
Q: How much do you and your highprofile teammates discuss your recruitments?
A: We’re obviously close friends, like family. We’re brothers, so we let each other in on some stuff, but we don’t tell the world.
Q: How do you pitch Indiana to prospective recruits?
A: I’m recruiting one big fella and I think y’all know who it is (Montverde teammate Derik Queen). I use Trayce Jackson-Davis a lot. He’s playing really well in the league.
Q: Have you identified what your college role might be?
A: I’m going to try to be as versatile as I can. Coach Woody said he’s going to trust me with the ball, trust me to make plays, and he’s going to force me to guard.
Q: What’s your most college ready skill?
A: My versatility. I can play many different positions on the floor.
Q: What do you want to improve on the most before getting to Indiana?
A: The biggest thing I’m working on is just on-ball defense and off-ball defense, guarding smaller guards because that’s what I want to do.
Q: Who’s your college or NBA player comp?
A: I watch a lot of Lua Doncǐ ć because I’m from Dallas. He’s my favorite player right now.