Recruiting Report: Keegan O’Neill (2018)
Keegan O’Neill of Delano is a junior big with a touch that has high expectations for the season (both for the team and himself). Keegan is one of several Tigers returning and they are high on preseason Class AAA team…
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Continue ReadingKeegan O’Neill of Delano is a junior big with a touch that has high expectations for the season (both for the team and himself).
Keegan is one of several Tigers returning and they are high on preseason Class AAA team ranking lists. The team won the Breakdown State Tournament at the Class AAA level this summer beating several other top contenders.
O’Neill was one of the top performers for the team producing inside and out. He’s been working hard to improve his game and it was very clear that weekend.
“I’ve been preparing quite a bit for this season,” explained the Delano junior. “Been lifting a lot and trying to put on some more muscle for this year. I have a trainer I’ve been going to for most the summer/fall, downtown at the mayo sports clinic who has helped a lot, and a local gym I go to on days I don’t have that.
“Also, just getting in the gym almost every day. Whether it’s doing some drills with my dad or getting some shots up on the machine I try to get in every day. Also we have started some open gyms after school and we’ve get some games going.
“And as for goals we have set some goals as a team that we think are realistic for this year, we think we can win our half of the (Wright County Conference) and make it to state this year!
“However, our main goal that our coach has instilled in us is just to focus on what’s directly in front of us. For instance if we have two games that week, he will say our only goal is to go 2-0 that week, and that’s all we’re worried about at the time. So we have some major goals and some smaller ones along the way.”
Delano finished as the runner-up to DeLaSalle in the section last year. Knocking off the Islanders is quite the chore but that is the goal.
“We are definitely similar to last year, as in we have a good core group of guys who saw time last year already,” O’Neill explained. “But I think we are a closer group this year, we are all guys who would hang out off the court as well and are encouraging and want to see each other succeed.
“We all also seem very focused and ready to go pre-season. We have had the opportunity to get all of our main guys together, and that is a difference from last year, and play in some preseason leagues this summer and fall, and have had some success in those games.
“We also have a lot of hard workers on the team this year who I know have been putting in a lot of time this off season as well.”
Colleges are aware of Keenan’s size and skill which is why he’s been taking visits and hearing from several schools.
“I recently took visits to Northern State and Augustana, and Saturday I took a visit to St John’s,” Keegan said. “Besides them I have heard from Northland College, Trevecca University, Holy Cross, William Penn, Wisconsin Superior, Upper Iowa, Briar Cliff, and Waldorf.”