He was just the second sophomore in history to win Gatorade Player of the Year.
Rock Hill, S.C. — Paul McNeil Jr. has thoroughly solidified himself as one of the top players in the 2024 class, dominating and taking names this summer to the tune of 19 points, 3.3 assists and 6.8 rebounds a game for Garner Road (N.C.) on the grueling Adidas 3SSB.
That production is a carryover from his dominant sophomore season at Richmond High School (Rockingham, N.C.), where he posted 24.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals a game and culminated with his becoming the second sophomore in history to take home the Gatorade North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“That was a major moment,” McNeil says. “That was a blessing.”
Still, ask McNeil if he’s taken the time to reflect on his accomplishments over the last year, and he’ll pose a question of his own: “What accomplishments?”
“I have so much more to do,” says McNeil, a 6'5" shooting guard. “I haven’t done anything yet. All of the awards and offers are cool, but I’m too busy working to think about that stuff.”
That mentality has been evident this week at the Adidas All-American Camp. McNeil has shown a propensity to consistently get into the lane, knock down perimeter shots and the athleticism to finish with authority in the lane.
Courtesy of Phenom Hoops
It’s also one of the key reasons that McNeil decided to uproot from his hometown and relocate to Napa, Calif., to suit up for Prolific Prep for his final two high school seasons.
“I just feel like going there will elevate my game to the next level,” McNeil says. “Playing a national schedule, playing against the top players in practice every day and the training I’ll get there is just top-notch. My only regret is that I didn’t get a state title for my hometown.”
The consolation has been living out his dreams by fielding calls from some of the top college coaches in the country since June 15, when NCAA rules permit college basketball coaches to make unlimited calls, direct messages and texts to rising juniors.
“That was a fun day,” McNeil says. “I was talking to Coach Patrick Ewing, Coach Hubert Davis and a lot of other coaches. It’s new to me, so it’s fun to see the messages and hear from the coaches. Like I said it’s just a blessing to be in the position.”
In addition to the Tar Heels and the Hoyas, Clemson, N.C. State, Florida State, Indiana, Ohio State and UCLA, among many others, have already begun to apply the full-court recruiting press.
“Being from a small town, there’s a lot of pressure because we haven’t had anyone make it out for basketball,” says McNeil, who is planning to hold off on visits for now. “We’ve had a lot of great football players, but even though we’ve had talent in basketball, no one has really made it all the way. I’m motivated by that.”
To that end, McNeil has tiered his goals for the future, the first of which centers on him being the consensus top player in his class.
“I’m gunning for the top,” McNeil says. “It keeps me working harder and harder. I want to be the No. 1 player. I think everyone does. I’m not satisfied with anything I’ve done so far because I have so far to go.”
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