How much will landing Liam McNeeley help Indiana basketball in final pursuit of 5-star Derik Queen?

The Indiana basketball program already has one five-star prospect locked in with a commitment but are heavily involved with one final target in its 2024 class.

The core three prospects for Indiana over the last two months have been Liam McNeeley, Boogie Fland and Derik Queen. Indiana hit a home run to start its class by landing top-15 prospect Liam McNeeley but finished second in the sweepstakes for top-20 player in Boogie Fland. Now, it’s full steam ahead for Queen.

Both McNeeley and Queen have been teammates at Montverde Academy (Fla.) for the past two seasons and have developed a great relationship with one another.

There have been conversations between the two about potentially playing in college together. Throughout McNeeley’s entire recruitment, Sources indicated to HoosierIllustrated that a commitment from McNeeley to Indiana could ultimately play a role in Queen’s recruitment. While it will be a basketball decision at the end of the day, the friendship between the two holds a lot of weight.

Both players took official visits together to Indiana during their junior and senior seasons.

“We have a great relationship. We’re brothers,” McNeeley told HoosierIllustrated of his relationship with Queen.

But just how much could it potentially help an Indiana basketball program looking to land the five-star center? Two national recruiting analysts break it down.

“There’s power in seeing somebody close to you buy into something, and Queen has had a front row seat,” Rivals National Basketball Recruiting Director Rob Cassidy said. “Groupthink goes a long way to putting a mind at ease, after all. Maryland will be a bear to topple here because of the longstanding relationships in place, but the Hoosiers are very much in play, and the McNeeley situation has to have given them some level of boost.”

“I think it helps, but I don’t know that Derik is sitting down with his family weighing the pros and cons of his decision and writing “Liam’s there” on Indiana’s side,” Rivals National Analyst Jason Jordan said. “I’ve seen situations like these up close and personal over the years and it’s never a real factor in the end. That said, it’s another voice in Queen’s ear for Mike Woodson, and that actually could make an impact … if this drags on I could see McNeeley’s inevitable pitches landing more firmly.”

Queen is entering the final stages of his recruitment. There are no more visits on the docket, with Maryland receiving the final one this past weekend. Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson and assistant Kenya Hunter visited Queen on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Maryland and Houston are expected to visit Queen.

Sources continue to point to Maryland being the team to beat, but Indiana will keep pushing until the very end. At this point it seems to be Maryland on the top line with Indiana and Houston solidly battling it out to try to make up ground.

There have been conflicting reports from sources about just how much the Maryland visit this past weekend moved the needle.

“Obviously McNeeley is actively recruiting Queen. Queen just took his official to Maryland and will decide probably next week,” a source told HoosierIllustrated. “Continue to think Maryland is the leader but I think (someone in his circle) is pushing Houston. Someone told me Maryland didn’t show him a path to being a one and done and that’s why the push for Houston.

“From an IU perspective, anything not towards Maryland is a positive obviously. Liam on his own might not be enough but it certainly helps them.”

Queen is expected to make an announcement before or during the early signing period which is Nov. 8 – 15.

(Story updated @ 10:30 am on Wednesday)

SEE ALSO: Fresh off of commitment to Indiana basketball, Liam McNeeley calls out two players he’s recruiting

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