Neal Rounds Out SC State Men’s Basketball Signing Class
Orangeburg, SC (SCSU) — South Carolina State head basketball coach Murray Garvin inked the final member of the 2017-18 class with the signing of Rayshawn Neal to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Bulldogs this upcoming season.
“Ray Neal is an exceptional point guard that will add much needed depth at the position. His size and strength put him in a great spot as being physically ready to step in and compete for minutes as a freshman,” said Garvin. “The coaching and competition he has received and played against, from high school to AAU, have prepared him for the next level.”
Neal, a 5-11, 185-pound point guard played last season at Legacy Charter High School in Greenville, SC. He averaged 16.0 points, five assist and four rebounds in leading his team to a 27-10 record over national ranked opponents.
A member of the Lion team since ninth grade, he was introduced to the AAU circuit after getting invited to the Top 80 camp and Super 60 showdown. During his junior year, he had already reached the 1,000th scoring plateau and eclipsed over 500 assists and 300 rebounds in his high school career. He was also a part of Team Charlotte that won the National AUU Championship in Orlando, Fla.
“What is a coincidence about his recruitment is that a friend of mine’s — Warren Stuke — put me on the phone with Ray when he was a junior in high school. The call was to motivate him to stay focused on his academics at the time,” stated Garvin. “Now that he has signed with us it looks like he did just that! I like to give credit to my assistant coaches for the contacts they have and the ability to recruit high-level student athletes to SC State. We truly believe that the best is yet to come for our program.”
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT NEAL:
“Ray Neal is a late bloomer who is tough great leader but a pass first point guard, who will get others involved but can score when needed. I think South Carolina State got a steal! Most importantly he is a great kid…good luck Ray!”-Coach Jeff McGinus (AAU Coach with Team Charlotte)
“Rayshawn Neal’s hard work on and off the court has prepared him to be a great scholar-athlete at the collegiate level. “- BJ Jackson (Head coach at Legacy Charter High School)
