When he arrived two and a half years ago, then new IU coach Mike Woodson knew he had to elevate the expectations when it came to what was possible on the recruiting trail.
“When I took the job, I made it clear to my coaches that we deserve to sit at the table with the best players,” Woodson said.
Since then, Indiana landed the No. 17 high school class in 2022 and No. 16 in 2023. He’s also brought in significant talent via the transfer portal.
Indiana doesn’t have a commit yet in the high school senior class, but they’re aiming even higher. And this weekend in many ways is a climactic moment both as it relates to IU’s efforts in the the 2024 class, and the direction of the Woodson era in its entirety.
This weekend alone, IU will have three top-50 class of 2024 targets on campus in Bloomington, and they’ll be greeted by a near perfect September forecast. Montverde Academy teammates Liam McNeeley, Derik Queen and Curtis Givens III will all be in town, notably taking their visits to Indiana together.
Indiana has made significant inroads with Montverde, arguably the best prep program in the country. It started when the Hoosiers landed Jalen Hood-Schifino in August, 2021. He helped IU land his teammate Malik Reneau the following spring.
The positive experience that pair enjoyed at Indiana has the IU staff looking to take the Montverde connection to the next level. After this weekend, IU will have had four members of the Montverde 2024 class on campus, including two repeat official visits.
Here’s a quick primer on the Montverde trio on campus this weekend:
LIAM MCNEELEY
Status — OFFERED (April, 2022)
Class – 2024
Hometown – Richardson, Texas
School – Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Position – Small forward
Height – 6-foot-7
Weight – 205
AAU – Florida Rebels (Nike EYBL)
On3 Industry Average Ranking – 5-star (No. 11 overall in nation, No. 4 small forward), consensus top-20
Top Schools — Indiana, Texas, and Kansas appear to be the only legitimate contenders based on his visits.
Other official visits — Indiana, Texas and Kansas.
Timeline — McNeeley wants to commit to a college before the November early signing period.
Indiana Connections — IU assistant coach Brian Walsh has been the lead recruiter, and there’s heavy involvement from other staff members including Woodson. This is his second official visit to Indiana.
Pedigree — Several members of McNeeley’s family played college basketball including his mother Ashley (Rice, 1994-96); uncles Chad Elsey (SMU and Baylor, 1997-2001) and John Inde (SMU, 1998-2001); grandfather Chuck Elsey (TCU, 1971-73); and great-grandfather Gordon Elsey (Tulsa, 1949)
Scouting Report Highlights — Highly skilled point forward. Very good shooter. Unselfish.
The Numbers — McNeeley averaged 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game for Montverde last season. On the Nike EYBL circuit he posted 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Shot above 40 percent from three both in high school and EYBL action.
Bloomington this weekend!!📞📞 @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/xxUBELDbIs
— liammcneeley (@liammcneeley30) September 6, 2023
DERIK QUEEN
Status — OFFERED (September, 2021)
Class – 2024
Hometown – Baltimore, Md.
School – Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Position – Center/Power forward
Height – 6-foot-9
Weight – 230
AAU – Team Thrill (Under Armour)
On3 Industry Average Ranking – 4-star (No. 15 overall in nation, No. 3 power forward), consensus top-25
Top Schools — Queen hasn’t formally named top schools, but they appear to be Indiana, Maryland, Houston, and Kansas.
Other visits — Kansas and Maryland to this point.
Timeline — Queen has not stated a formal timeline. A fall 2023 decision is generally expected.
Indiana Connections — IU assistant coach Kenya Hunter has deep ties to the Washington D.C. metro area, along with both Queen’s AAU program and Montverde. This is his second official visit to Indiana.
Scouting Report Highlights — Skilled big man. Can score over either shoulder with great footwork. Very good passer. Can make perimeter shots and improving in that area.
The Numbers — During his junior season at Montverde, Queen averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and shot 64 percent. For Team Thrill he averaged 19.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting 59 percent from the field.
Bloomington this weekend!🔴⚪️ @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/m3OwnrRWFw
— derik queen (@derikqueen1) September 7, 2023
CURTIS GIVENS III
Status — OFFERED (April, 2023)
Class – 2024
Hometown – Memphis, Tenn.
School – Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Position – Combo guard
Height – 6-foot-3
Weight – 180
AAU – Mokan Elite (Nike EYBL)
On3 Industry Average Ranking – 4-star (No. 54 overall in nation, No. 8 point guard), consensus top-85
Top Schools — Indiana, Memphis, LSU, Texas
Other visits — Memphis, LSU, Texas, Georgia Tech
Timeline — Plans to commit in the fall before the November early signing period.
Indiana Connections — Givens is a newer relationship for IU. He told The Daily Hoosier he’s well aware of the success Montverde product Jalen Hood-Schifino had at Indiana. Given the joint visit, obviously could be intrigued to join McNeeley and/or Queen if they committed.
Scouting Report Highlights — Wired to score. Long range. Can play on or off the ball. Has tools and attributes to be good defender.
The Numbers — Averaged 16.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game this summer while shooting 44 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range. During his junior season at Montverde, Givens averaged 4.0 points and 2.2 assists in 14.7 minutes per game.
Bloomington this weekend!🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/09R871N7Bd
— Curtis Givens III (@lilcurtis_3) September 6, 2023
For a complete recap of IU basketball’s 2024 targets, including top schools, timelines, highlights and the latest on their recruitments, GO HERE.
For all of our IU basketball recruiting coverage, GO HERE.
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