By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today sports editor
Me’Arah O’Neal will bring name recognition to the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team next season.
O’Neal, daughter of former LSU and NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, committed to the Wildcats on Monday, giving coach Kenny Brooks a versatile forward in the post.
O’Neal averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds last season at Florida. In a loss to the Wildcats at Memorial Coliseum last year, O’Neal scored 23 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and snagged four rebounds.
Overall, O’Neal was second on the team and made 37 3-pointers last season.
“I think my three-pointer gets me going,” she said during the Southeastern Conference Tournament in March. “I started out playing basketball shooting threes, so it’s kind of neat. It’s kind of — I don’t know the word — common nature for me.”
Former Florida coach Kelly Rae Finley, now associate head coach at Virginia, recruited O’Neal to Gainesville two years ago.
“On the court, she is a dynamic player who brings a unique skill set along with versatility to the floor,” she said. “Her humble nature and team-first mentality make her the total package.”