Former LSU big man Shareef O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, will stay in the 2022 NBA Draft following a mix-up pertaining to his eligibility, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The league informed teams that O’Neal, 22, is now eligible to be selected after mistakenly being included on a list of withdrawals. Charania noted the 6' 10" junior is expected to participate in upcoming team workouts in preparation for the draft, but did not list any of the teams involved.
Despite enduring a college career marred significantly by health issues, O’Neal remains an intriguing prospect given his background and pedigree. The former four-star recruit was recently on the radar of various college programs after reportedly entering the transfer portal in late March after playing 24 games over two seasons with the Tigers.
O’Neal’s college career got off to a rocky start in 2018 when a heart condition that required surgery forced him to miss his freshman season at UCLA. He would return for his redshirt year the following season and appear in 13 games before transferring to LSU ahead of the 2020–21 season.
