Shareef O’Neal was the first Class of 2018 Arizona Basketball commit. O’Neal is currently ranked as the No. 19 overall player in the ESPN100 and No. 3 in California at power forward, but that’s only temporary.
Shareef O’Neal is now a household name in families where basketball is a main staple of entertainment. This Arizona Basketball Commit is raising his stock every day!
What a week! I have never seen so much attention paid to AAU basketball. Vegas was buzzing, Sean Miller was there, and tens of thousands of people tuned in to watch a live feed on Facebook at times.
Arizona Wildcats Basketball
I think we have a few things to thank for that. The players, the AAU teams, Nike and Adidas sponsoring the teams as well as the entire changing landscape of NCAA Basketball recruiting. Everything for a baller is starting earlier with younger players.
This Vegas tournament was Shareef’s last AAU tournament before he starts his senior year at Crossroads High School in Santa Monica, Ca. This season, Shareef will be without one of his favorite teammates Ira Lee who arrived in Tucson about a month ago to join his new Wildcats team for the summer. Shareef told us he wanted to be more of a leader on his high school team next season, that was one of his primary goals.
O’Neal’s dad, Shaquille O’Neal also wanted to take on a leadership position on his team and was assigned by Director Gary Franklin if he could coach the Cal Supreme team in Vegas last week. Shaq and Shareef have such a special relationship as father/son and as coach/player. He told Tucson.com beat writer Bruce Pascoe:
"“I told the guys in the program I want to coach my son,” O’Neal said."
Pascoe caught up with Shareef after the tournament and found out that Shareef is learning a lot from all of his coaches, all have played or are playing in the NBA. Shaq’s assistants were former Arizona Wildcat Solomon Hill (solo), and Kenyon Martin. Pascoe writes that they are all teaching Shareef and he is a willing mentee.
"Martin “is actually very hard on me, him and my dad and Solomon,” Shareef said. “They’re at the level that I want to be at. They’re just teaching me a lot. I’m soaking it all in and doing my best.”"
Shareef had to play without his bestie Bol Manute Bol who also plays on the Cal Supreme AAU TEAM as Bol was playing with his high school team, Mater Dei.
If you have followed Shareef’s summer journey with Zona Zealots, you could tell that the Wildcat-to-be has vastly improved his game. Highlight reels all over the internet include Shareef’s three’s and dunks. He is looking to be a versatile player who can do it all.
Shaq and his team celebrated like only Shaq can, dancing and singing:
https://twitter.com/overtime/status/892820292753600514
We caught up with Shareef at the Drew League charity event in Inglewood, California. The game was between the Drew League All-Stars (Marvin Bagley, Baron Davis, Frank Nitty Session, Charles Garcia, Bobby Brown) and Jamal Crawford’s Crawsover team (Mike James (Suns), Ryan Anderson (G-League) and others. Shareef sat court side, of course, he did, he’d be mauled if he sat with the fans, little kids gravitate to him like a magnet.
Wildcats fans get more and more excited for the day that Shareef first signs his Letter of Intent in the winter, then steps foot on campus as a student athlete in June next year. Until then, he will be enjoying his senior year, prom, leading his team, graduating, showing up to events knowing a ton of kids will be begging for his autograph or a selfie. Bear Down Reef, thanks for always being so gracious with your time for Arizona Basketball fans.
Must Read: More on Arizona Commit Shareef O'Neal from ZZ..
Note: Marvin Bagley was rumored to have been planning an official visit to Arizona this week, but he wasn’t in Tucson, he was in Inglewood grabbing 20 rebounds and scoring 16 points with very experienced players in this Drew League vs. Everybody game.