Me'Arah O'Neal, Daughter of NBA Legend Shaq, Commits to Florida WCBB over LSU

Me'Arah O'Neal turned down her father Shaquille O'Neal's alma mater LSU to play college basketball for Florida, ESPN's Charlotte Gibson reported.

O'Neal announced her decision Sunday live on the ESPN's SportsCenter Next Instagram.

The 6-foot-3 post player is ranked No. 33 among the 2024 recruiting class by espnW.

Other finalists in the running for O'Neal included Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader's Caroline Makauskas.

She will be the fourth O'Neal child to begin a college basketball career. O'Neal's brother Shareef played for UCLA and LSU, her sister Amirah competed for LSU and Texas Southern, and her brother Shaqir made his TSU debut on November 7.

O'Neal attends Episcopal High School in Houston. This summer she competed in the AAU with the Texas EYBL team CyFair Elite, where she averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in just under 20 minutes per game, according to Makauskas.

O'Neal shared on September 10 images from her official visit with the Gators.

She said it was on that visit that she "had a feeling that's where I belonged," according to Gibson.

"I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly [Rae Finley] more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me," O'Neal said. "She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That's important for me."

O'Neal's decision comes four days after the news that Finley had also secured a commitment from another top prospect in point guard Alivia McGill. McGill's No. 16 ranking by ESPN made her the highest-rated recruit in program history, per the Independent Florida Alligator's Jackson Reyes.

Finley's hot recruiting streak goes back to last November, when the Gators announced a commitment from another top-20 recruit in current freshman guard Laila Reynolds.

Watching McGill and O'Neal play with Reynolds next season will be a draw for viewers of Gators women's basketball.