Elite Duke basketball recruiting prospect trying to schedule visit

A heralded prep may soon take a trip to Duke basketball land.

John Paul II (Texas) sophomore small forward Liam McNeeley has been on the Duke basketball recruiting radar for months, although no one from his class yet holds an offer from the Blue Devils. In early December, the 6-foot-7, 190-pound five-star spoke about the interest coming out of Durham, specifically from the program’s director of player development, Amile Jefferson.

Now, in his debut blog this week for SI.com, McNeeley noted an increase in Blue Devil interest and mentioned that an unofficial visit to the school is in the works:

“Duke has reached out more and wants me to come down for a visit. We’ve tried to make it work, but due to COVID, it’s been tough. Hopefully, I can get down there soon.”

Fitting the Duke basketball mold with brains and game

Per Liam McNeeley, who ranks No. 16 overall on the 2024 Rivals 150 due to a skillset that some claim is unmatched in versatility among his peers, he boasts a 4.1 GPA from the fall semester. And he’s become a bit of a history buff.

On that note, if McNeeley studies Blue Devil history, he might see similarities between his on-court repertoire and that of 2001 Duke national champ Mike Dunleavy. The resemblances are noticeable in his graceful moves with the ball and buttery shooting stroke beyond the arc:

Currently, McNeeley’s offer sheet is about a dozen deep. That said, it seems only a matter of time until he doubles that count. For now, as he explained in his blog, he anticipates a decision date being well in the distance:

“I’ve had 30 coaches out at my practices, so it’s been a lot, but it’s a lot of fun…I’m not in any hurry with anything; I’m just having fun getting to know the coaching staffs at this point.”

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more on the recruitment of Liam McNeeley plus other Duke basketball recruiting news and views.