Shareef O’Neal – Shaq’s son – appears to be joining a growing list of basketball players jumping on the bus and leaving Shaq’s alma mater, Louisiana State University (LSU).
It’s been a couple of very tough weeks for both the basketball and football programs at LSU, but the focus of the trouble has been on the hoops program. The university fired head basketball coach Will Wade and associate head coach Bill Armstrong over allegations returned from a major NCAA investigation and report.
According to the notice of allegations obtained by The Advocate newspaper of Baton Rouge, a total of 11 violations were detailed, including eight Level I violations — seven of which solely pertain to men’s basketball. (Others were lodged against the football program.
Head basketball coach Wade is tied to six of the seven allegations within the men’s basketball program. Associate head coach Armstrong is accused of one Level I violation and one Level II violation.
The report states that both LSU basketball and football programs “failed to exercise institutional control and monitor the conduct and administration of its football and men’s basketball programs” from February 2012 through June 2020.
Now several high-profile LSU basketball players are looking for new homes, including Shareef O’Neal. He and several others have put their names in a program called the “transfer portal.” Just like it sounds, that means the players are open to transfers to other schools.
O’Neal averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14 games this season. His college basketball career is well-traveled. He transferred to LSU from UCLA after his redshirt freshman season in 2019-20.
The firings of the two coaches came shortly after LSU was eliminated from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Tigers lost to Iowa State in the first round of action. Three days after the firings of Wade and Armstrong, LSU hired Murray State’s Matt McMahon as its next head coach.
Shareef joins LSU basketball forward Bradley Ezewiro in that transfer portal. Ezewiro was a sought-after three-star recruit out of high school in California, where he was listed as the 11th best player in his class.
Shareef and Ezewiro are joined by Jerrell Colbert and guards Brandon Murray, Xavier Pinson and Adam Miller…all looking to transfer. Where will O’Neal end up next? No indication just yet, so stay tuned!