Top recruit Shareef O'Neal, Shaq's son, mulling LSU while Kentucky lingers
The son of the legendary NBA center is the No. 31-ranked prospect in the 2018 class
NBA legend Shquille O'Neal played more than 1,200 games, averaged a tick under 24 points per game, and established himself as one of the most dominant big men in history throughout a professional career that started in Orlando in 1992 and finished in 2011 with the Boston Celtics. It should come as no surprise that his athletic talents have been passed down his bloodline into the hands of his son, Shareef, a top-30 basketball prospect in the 2018 recruiting class.
Shareef, a 6-foot-9 power forward, is ranked as the No. 31 prospect nationally and No. 13 at his position.
The younger O'Neal hasn't narrowed his list of top schools, but in a recent interview with Rivals he did name five that are sticking out — Kansas, UCLA, Arizona, LSU and USC.
LSU is an obvious connection, given the family ties. Shaq kicked off his career at LSU, so the chance to follow in his father's footsteps is one to watch.
The Kentucky Wildcats have also shown interest, and it is a school Shaq wouldn't mind seeing his son pick.
"I love — well, I can't say I love UK," Shaq said recently about Kentucky being a potential landing spot for his son despite not extending a scholarship offer yet. "UK for me was always a tough place to play. It's one of the schools on my son's list. So, I don't know where he's going to go, but I'd love for him to play for a coach like Cal."
Shareef likely won't narrow his schools until the summer, and a lot can change between now and then. But whoever lands him will be getting a game-changer who plays a lot like his Hall of Fame father.
















