BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Liam McNeeley made waves on Sunday afternoon when he announced his decision to commit to Indiana on national television, the five-star recruit becoming the first pledge in the Hoosiers' 2024 class.
McNeeley broke down his decision with ESPN's Paul Biancardi moments after.
"Coach Woodson has been recruiting me for a really long time," McNeeley said. "Their interest in me has never wavered. They've been the most consistent in recruiting me and I feel really comfortable with them."
So comfortable, in fact, that the newest Hoosier pledge wasted little time in beginning to court the next potential five-stars to join him. Surrounded by a huddle of his Montverde teammates that eagerly supported his decision, McNeeley quickly turned to fellow five-star and priority Indiana target Derik Queen.
"My first call will be the to man right here, Derik Queen," McNeeley told Biancardi when asked if he'll be making any recruiting calls of his own. "We need Derik Queen to come be a Hoosier."
Biancardi then asked if there was anyone else McNeeley had in mind.
"Boogie Fland, that call is coming," he responded.
McNeeley had been at the top of Indiana's wish list in the 2024 class for a long time running now, but the Hoosiers have been heavily pursuing Queen and Fland to complement him in the class.
Queen's recruitment remains open, as the Baltimore native is scheduled to take a visit to Maryland this upcoming weekend. The Terrapins are the perceived leader in his recruitment and the two have said their recruitments are independent of one another, but they're also best friends and have taken multiple visits together, including two to Indiana: one this past September and one in 2022.
Queen is rated as the No. 15 player in the class and the third-best center.
Fland recently made the decision to trim his list to three, including Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama as his finalists. Woodson and company have been on multiple recruiting visits to see the Archbishop Stepinac High School guard. There's an obvious connection with Woodson to the New York area from his time as the head coach of the NBA's Knicks, and the White Plains, NY. native is in decision mode.
His timeline is varying, but a recruitment that once felt like a Kentucky-lean now seems to slightly favor the Hoosiers.
Again, McNeeley put the class' top point guard on the spot as well. He's the No. 10 overall player in the 2024 cycle.
Mike Woodson has emphasized throughout his short stint thus far as the Hoosier head coach: he and his staff need to be in the mix with the top players in each class.
"I made it clear to my staff that we had to go and recruit the best players," Woodson said at Indiana basketball media day in September. "They were like, 'Damn, you just got here, you can't just go to the top.'
"I'm like, 'Why not?'"
It's a promise he's fulfilled. McNeeley's commitment marks the third straight offseason that Indiana basketball has brought in a five-star freshman:
- 2022 – Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau
- 2023 – Mackenzie Mgbako
- 2024 – Liam McNeeley
Kel'el Ware, one of the crucial projected impact players Indiana brought in this offseason through the transfer portal, was a 2022 five-star recruit as well.
Now, Indiana has had it's first domino fall in the 2024 class. Woodson and company, like McNeeley, can now turn their attention to the next question of importance.
Who's next?
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