The high school basketball landscape is so unique, especially as times change and new recruiting tactics emerge seemingly every day. Kids are naturally affected by these changes in the recruiting process, but we shouldn’t allow that to overshadow the brilliance and unprecedented heights some individuals are reaching. By “some,” we mean Dionte Neal and the historical season he’s currently having as a frontrunner for Gatorade Player of the Year. Let’s take a closer look…
Before discussing his individual greatness, it’s worth taking a look at how much talent departed from last season. Between the collection of seniors and notable junior (Kendre Harrison), they lost over 60% of their scoring and 80% of their rebounding. The volume alone is too much for the majority of programs to handle losing, but Neal simply refuses to concede. This group only added one piece, Paul Cauthen, yet is somehow maintaining a level of success that we’ve come to expect from Neal-led teams.
In terms of the raw numbers, it gets even more insane. Right now, Neal is averaging a ridiculous stat line of 38.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 8.4 APG, and 6.6 SPG with seemingly impossible splits of 68/63/88. The team is currently 8-1 with several challenging opponents already in the rearview mirror, but they are about to enter another intense stretch (including arguably their two toughest opponents over the next week).
Although it’s difficult to imagine anyone reading this who hasn’t already seen him at least once, his game matches the otherworldly production. Neal is an extremely smart, quick, balanced point guard who elevates his supporting cast while filling it up in a variety of ways as a scorer. He utilizes his tight handle and blinding quickness to get wherever he wants off the bounce. Neal sees the floor exceptionally well and consistently makes the right play with the ball in his hands. He’s more than comfortable taking what the defense gives him, but will take what he wants if necessary. Due to the constant pressure he puts on defenses, Neal is simply a nightmare for opposing teams to defend. On the other end, he rebounds well for his size and causes a ton of problems for guards at the point of attack. Neal anticipates extremely well to force turnovers and push transition play. Few guys are capable of leading a team like him.
Additionally, there is a calming sense he brings to a team. Any coach, player, or spectator can feel safe and secure when Neal is dictating the action. At a certain point, we all must collectively acknowledge that the kid has simply exceeded expectations in all facets of basketball. After setting numerous records and essentially rewriting the record book for high school basketball, one must ask: What more do people want? The UNCG commit has stayed the course, never wavered, and is one of the most dominant individuals to ever come through North Carolina as a result.