‘The stakes for this weekend in Bloomington couldn’t be any higher’ with Montverde trio visiting Indiana basketball

Indiana basketball is currently in the middle of having arguably their most critical recruiting weekend with Montverde Academy trio Liam McNeeley (five-star), Derik Queen (five-star) and Curtis Givens (four-star) all taking their official visits.

Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers sit pretty well with all three right now and are even considered the leader by some, especially when it comes to five-star wing Liam McNeeley. Both McNeeley and Queen are currently on their second official visit in Bloomington while this is the first for Curtis Givens.

The Indiana basketball staff has built a strong relationship and pipeline with the Montverde Academy program with both Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau both coming from there.

Both McNeeley and Queen are both coming off of dominant junior seasons playing for Montverde.

McNeeley, originally from Texas, transferred to Montverde Academy (Fla.) last season and emerged as one of the top prospects in the country. This season he averaged 13.7 points and was second in the NIBC averaging 2.2 made 3s per game. Queen, on the other hand, averaged 11.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 61 percent from the field.

Givens played more of reserve role and averaged 4.0 points and 2.2 assists per game in 14.7 minutes a game. He also shot 36% from three.

First Look: Liam McNeeley, Derik Queen and Curtis Givens on Indiana basketball visit

With Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball hosting these three key targets from a program that has produced great talent for the Hoosiers, the stakes has never been hire as he looks to secure one of the top recruiting classes in 2024.

“The Hoosiers have already had great success forging an Eagles pipeline with Malik Reneau and Jalen Hood-Schifino in the past, and now Mike Woodson is hoping that it continues to flow consistently with his weekend guests,” said Rivals Basketball Recruiting staff member Jason Jordan. “McNeeley is one of the most versatile players in the country, comfortable with playing and defending 1-4, and consistently produced everywhere this summer. Queen proved to be, arguably, the top big in the country this summer and Givens had a breakout summer with Mokan Elite in the Nike EYBL. The stakes for this weekend in Bloomington couldn’t be any higher.”

By all accounts, Indiana basketball has made a great pitch to all three that makes sense with what Mike Woodson is trying to build in his system. McNeeley can be that playmaker on the wing, Queen could see the same development that Trayce Jackson-Davis had while Givens could mirror the development that Hood-Schifino had, as well.

All three players come into their senior season ranked inside the top-40 with both McNeely and Queen listed as consensus top-10 prospects.

The Hoosiers are looking to kick off their 2024 class with bang. Landing anyone of these players will make a top national recruiting class within reach.

“When I took the job, I made it clear to my coaches that we deserved to sit at the table with the best players,” Woodson told reporters this summer. “We kind of squabbled a little bit early on because they didn’t think we were in that position to be able to do that.

“I thought we were based on Indiana basketball and the history of it. So, I didn’t accept no for an answer and I told ’em (my staff) that I wanted to be able to sit at the table with the best players and compete with the Kentucky’s, the Kansas’, the Duke’s, teams like that.”

SEE ALSO: Indiana Basketball Recruiting Visit Primer: Liam McNeeley, Derik Queen, Curtis Givens

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