With Just 1.8 PPG, Shaquille O’Neal’s Son Becomes Latest High-Profile NCAA Athlete on Transfer Portal

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Shaqir O’Neal has entered the transfer portal after spending two years at Texas Southern. Ranked no. 285 prospect in the class of 2021 and the 21st senior in the state of Georgia, at the time (2021), the young buck was one of the firsts from Shaquille O’Neal‘s family after the latter’s father to commit to an HBCU. But now, he is ready for a different home. A post by the NCAA Transfer Portal page (Unofficial) on X read,

“Texas Southern sophomore forward Shaqir O’Neal, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has entered the transfer portal. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 20 appearances this season.” There are some doubts about whether the statistics will help him get his desired spot, but his profile has garnered a lot of interest.

While he decided to leave TSU, coach Johnny Jones has a close relationship with Shaquille O’Neal and once shared how much Shaqir had improved heading into this season. “One of the new guys that we’re really happy and excited about is Shaqir O’Neal… I think people that hadn’t had an opportunity to see his offseason workouts – I think he’s done an awesome job in transitioning in the last two years and we’re looking forward to him making an impact with us and for us as well.”

The young player’s best game was against Biblical Studies where he scored 9 points and hit two three-pointers. Shaqir is the second O’Neal child to play college basketball. Shareef, O’Neal’s oldest son, previously played for UCLA in 2020 and LSU. While he wasn’t picked in the 2022 draft, Shareef played at the G league Ignite.

Not just his sons, but the Big Aristotle’s daughters are also making him proud. While Me’arah will play for Florida in 2025, Amirah spent time with LSU and Texas Southern but unfortunately, didn’t see the floor during the regular season.

Further, along with O’Neal’s youngest, there is a wave of players who are making their moves. Some of the very best and most talented have entered their names in the transfer portal. Who are they?

Top talents flood the transfer portal

Seeking new opportunities is Cal-Riverside junior forward Vladimer Salardize. He entered the transfer portal with 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season.

Another coveted player on the portal is Florida A&M’s Keith Lamar. He spent his first two years at Stetson University before transferring to South Georgia State Junior College. He has put up impressive numbers that make him an interesting choice in the transfer pool. He has averaged 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Hawks’ guard Tyree Ihenacho has also shown his interest in a transfer as he entered his name in the portal. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He played his first year in Dakota, followed by two years at James Madison University, before eventually returning to the Hawks.

With such interesting names in the transfer portal, it will be interesting to watch where Shaqir’s potential will take him. What do you think?