2025 small forward prospect Jermaine O’Neal Jr. announced his commitment to SMU Basketball on Wednesday. A four-star recruit out of Texas’s Dynamic Prep, he’s the son of former NBA star Jermaine O’Neal. The elder O’Neal, who was the 17th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, was named an All-Star six times while playing for the Indiana Pacers.
O’Neal Jr. also held offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona State, and Vanderbilt. Aside from visiting SMU, he also took a trip to Vanderbilt’s campus. The Commodores are now led by a former James Madison head coach Mark Byington after parting ways with Jerry Stackhouse, a two-time NBA All-Star selection.
SMU Basketball’s First 2025 Commit, Jermaine O’Neal Jr., Has Links To Pacers
After the announcement, the O’Neal showered his son with compliments, offering a scouting report of sorts.
“We are beyond proud of the incredible growth Jermaine has shown year after year,” O’Neal Sr. tells ZAGSBLOG. “His development as a three-level scorer has been tremendous, and his vision on the offensive side of the ball continues to elevate his game. What truly sets Jermaine apart is his defense — it’s his superpower right now. He can guard positions one through four, and even sometimes five, thanks to his athleticism, which allows him to play above the rim, and his quickness, which gives him the ability to cover the entire court.”
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds, O’Neal Jr. is a spry wing capable of playing on or off the ball. As he’s not the most explosive athlete, he doesn’t often finish above the rim. Nonetheless, he’s a three-level scorer with a soft touch.
Of his decision, O’Neal says “the biggest part is the love coach [Andy] Enfield and everyone else has showed me” (h/t ZAGSBLOG’s Sam Lance).
“They actually started recruiting me about two years ago at USC. So just that love they’ve shown over the two years has been great. And then coming to Dallas, it seemed like a great opportunity.”
In his assessment of what he brings to the Mustangs, he says:
“I believe I’ll be able to go to a campus and impact winning there just by knowing small detail things like switching, hedging, different playstyles, being able to read offenses and knowing when people should cut. Just small things like that. So I believe my IQ is higher that a lot of my peers.”
Enfield decided to leave USC and become the Mustangs men’s basketball head coach in April. In his time with the Trojans, they earned commitments from two NBA stars’ sons: Bronny James and D.J. Rodman. Had Enfield stayed in sunny Southern California, O’Neal may have been the third prospect in that category.
As it turns out, he got his guy anyways.
