Recruiting Update: Kaelan O’Neil (2020 Churchill HS)
Kaelan O’Neil didn’t stay down for long. The aggressive 6-foot-4, 180-pound wing most definitely wanted to help Churchill High School win it all in 5A last season and did his best to fit his game into the system so that…
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Continue ReadingKaelan O’Neil didn’t stay down for long. The aggressive 6-foot-4, 180-pound wing most definitely wanted to help Churchill High School win it all in 5A last season and did his best to fit his game into the system so that the Lancers had a shot. It didn’t quite work out but O’Neil has picked up the pieces and is setting his sights on a big AAU season.
“We lost but we all tried and we were all working as a team,” O’Neil said. “We all bought in and we all contributed the same but we just fell short. I felt like I could have done better and I’m just trying to get ready for next year.”
O’Neil has returned to play with Hoop Salem’s top 17U squad and so far he’s been quite effective. Always an aggressive player, he’s shown the ability to harness that aggressiveness and play hard without getting into foul trouble. In the first couple of tournaments this year, he’s attacking the basket with ferocity and trying to dunk the ball every time that he can. While that part of his game has gone well he knows he’s still got room to improve.
“I just try to do what I have to do to win – that’s all I have to say,” O’Neil said. “But I need to work on my ball-handling and definitely my shooting. I’m going to work on that all summer and just be a better teammate.”
One of O’Neil’s goals is to continue increasing his recruitment. The early offer he got from Eastern Washington is still on the table and he continues to keep in close contact with them. “It’s going good and the coaches love me,” O’Neil said. “Back in the summer I went on a visit and it was good. The campus was good and the coaches are great.”
As much as O’Neil has liked the Eagles, he’s not ready to make a commitment and is open to hearing from other schools. He currently ranks as the #3 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.