The Indiana Hoosiers have been dealing with a tough college basketball season, but the year got even worse with the latest recruiting news surrounding 5-star recruit Liam McNeeley.
On3 Sports basketball reporter Joe Tipton shared the news via X that McNeeley had requested to be released by his national letter of intent, decommitting from the Hoosiers to pursue other options.
NEWS: Five-Star Liam McNeeley has decommitted from Indiana.
The 6-7 SF has requested to be released from his National Letter of Intent and will reopen his recruitment.
Story: https://t.co/3EEVaQcdHF pic.twitter.com/E1nDk6PyQ2
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 8, 2024
The 6'7" small forward was a top-20 recruit in the country by 247Sports, coming out of Montverde Academy in Florida as an All-American forward. The versatile scorer and shooter had drawn interest from other top programs including Kansas and Alabama, but had initially decided on joining the Hoosiers before decommitting.
It's a massive blow for Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson, who has been dealing with a hot seat in the midst of a disappointing season. Indiana currently sits in the bottom half of the Big Ten standings with a 17-13 record and a 9-10 record in conference play.
Woodson is reportedly set to return as the head coach for the Hoosiers next season, with hopes that this season was just a down year after the team lost their star center in Trayce Jackson-Davis and star freshman point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who both helped lead Indiana to the NCAA tournament. However, the latest decommitment from McNeeley could potentially change things, with Woodson losing his top recruit for the incoming 2024 class.
For McNeeley, his recruitment has suddenly opened back up, with the Kansas Jayhawks expected to be a legitimate contender to bring him in. The All-American had originally been down to Indiana and Kansas as his final two schools, and he fills a similar role that head coach Bill Self has looked for on his teams with scoring wings in Gradey Dick and Johnny Furphy.
Regardless of where McNeeley ends up, he's dealt a massive blow to Indiana basketball and its recruiting efforts for 2024.
