Me’Arah O’Neal, the youngest daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, on Sunday signed a National letter of Intent to proceed her occupation taking part in college basketball for Florida. She selected the Gators over her father’s alma mater, LSU.
The 17-year-old, indexed as a 6-foot-3 post participant from Episcopal High School in Houston, is ranked No. 33 general within the 2024 recruiting elegance, in accordance to the HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.
Shaq, a four-time NBA champion, used to be a legend at LSU who has maintained an in depth dating with the college. After taking up Reebok, Shaq’s first transfer used to be signing Tigers megastar Angel Reese to an NIL deal.
However, Me’Arah has selected to pass a distinct path than her father. The proud dad told ESPN he stayed out of her resolution.Â
“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted,'” he mentioned, “because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”
The different groups that made the more youthful O’Neal’s most sensible 8 had been Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee. For Me’Arah, who visited Florida in September, her resolution got here down to who she sought after as a trainer.
“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida,” she informed ESPN. I felt like I attached with Coach Kelly [Rae Finely] greater than I attached with any of the opposite colleges that recruited me. She truly cares about me no longer simply at the court docket however off the court docket. That’s essential for me.”
Some of Shaq’s different kids have additionally performed college basketball. Shareef performed for the UCLA males’s group ahead of moving to LSU and in the long run pursuing a qualified occupation. Shaqir is these days a redshirt sophomore for the Texas Southern males’s group. Amirah, who’s now not taking part in, walked on to the LSU ladies’s group ahead of she transferred to Texas Southern.