Me’Arah O’Neal will follow in the footsteps of her famous father, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, and play basketball in the SEC
Me’Arah O’Neal, the 6’3″ daughter of Shaquille O’Neal and one of the nation’s top women’s basketball recruits, has officially committed to play in the Southeastern Athletic Conference. It’s the same place where her dominant dad once terrorized rivals in the paint for the LSU Tigers. Except the younger O’Neal isn’t planning on becoming a Bayou Bengal like her famous father. Instead, she’s headed to the University of Florida.
Me’Arah O’Neal, a four-star recruit from Episcopal High in Houston, chose Florida over Shaq Diesel’s alma mater and the reigning NCAA national champion, LSU. But just like her Hall of Fame father, she stood tall when she made her simple declaration in her own way.
Of course, as the daughter of Shaquille O’Neal, the prospect had to do things in style. She made her announcement on her Instagram feed, popping a balloon that was filled with blue, green, and orange confetti and wearing Gators gear.
“I will be committing to the University of Florida,” Me’Arah O’Neal said.
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“I had a feeling (Florida was )where I belonged,” O’Neal told ESPN following her announcement. “And that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida. I felt like I connected with Coach (Kelly Rae Finley) more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”
Other schools that reportedly recruited Me’Arah O’Neal include Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Tennessee
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