Shaqir O'Neal transfer portal: Top 5 landing spots for the Texas Southern forward ft. LSU
Shaqir O'Neal, the son of NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal, has entered the transfer portal. The younger O'Neal, a 6-foot-7 forward, played the last two seasons at Texas Southern. In 41 games, he scored 63 points and grabbed 53 rebounds. He was under the radar as a high school recruit from Georgia.
As is the case with many players in the transfer portal, O'Neal essentially has to choose between two paths. Having played little at Texas Southern (16-17), if he wishes to pursue more playing time, he likely needs to stick at the mid-major level. Or O'Neal, recognizing that his skills are likely not leading to the NBA, might wish to experience big-time college basketball from the bench.
Here are five possible landing spots for Shaqir O'Neal.
Top 5 transfer portal landing spots for Shaqir O'Neal
#5, Texas Southern
It gets forgotten, but entering the portal is not a certainty of transferring. O'Neal landed at Texas Southern in part because of Johnny Jones, the venerable TSU coach. Jones used to coach at LSU, as a longtime Dale Brown assistant and then later as a head coach, and knows Shaq, who played for Brown, well.
It may be that O'Neal realizes his best chance to see the court is by staying where he is and improving. It's not glamorous, but O'Neal may end up sticking around.
#4, UCLA
On the other hand, if O'Neal wants to experience the college basketball high life, what could make more sense than UCLA? Given Shaq's connection to LA, the Bruins feel like a possible fit. UCLA (16-17) had a rough season, and a feel-good addition of O'Neal might add some intrigue to a team that lost its sizzle. This is an outside-the-box fit, but it could be an intriguing situation.
#3, Georgia State
O'Neal played his high school basketball at Union Grove High in nearby McDonough, Georgia. Georgia State would give O'Neal a chance to return to those roots. It would also potentially allow O'Neal to see playing time – Georgia State was 14-17 in the Sun Belt this season.
Georgia State is also located in Atlanta, so, like Texas Southern and UCLA, O'Neal could play smaller college basketball in a major city.
#2, Georgia Southern
Many of the same possibilities as above are notable at Georgia Southern. Located in Statesboro, the school doesn't have any urban ties like Georgia State. But the 9-24 Eagles provide an even better opportunity for Shaqir to see minutes. And perhaps that shouldn't be overlooked, despite an underwhelming couple of seasons at Texas Southern.
Shaqir O'Neal is a developing wing player who could still bloom on the court. If O'Neal isn't looking to give up on pro basketball as a future and wants to be close to his roots, Georgia Southern could be the school.
#1, LSU
If O'Neal elects to use his remaining college eligibility to see the inside workings of big-time college basketball, he could follow in his father's footsteps at LSU. Coach Matt McMahon had a solid second season in Baton Rouge. At the same time, the Tigers (17-16) are still in a situation where additional fan interest would be helpful, and keeping Shaq around the program would be helpful.
The Tigers also have five seniors and will likely have a fair amount of available roster spots. Adding Shaqir O'Neal to the Tigers roster feels like a win/win situation for everyone.
One dark horse: His younger sister, Me'Arah O'Neal, is headed to play for the Florida Gators next season after being a McDonald's All-American at Episcopal High School in the Houston area.