Prospect Watch: Jake Neal (2017)
Class of 2017 guard Jake Neal of Otterville is a small-school standout who has been getting plenty of buckets at Class 1 Otterville since his freshman year. The 6’3″ Neal is currently averaging 30 points a game during the beginning…
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Continue ReadingClass of 2017 guard Jake Neal of Otterville is a small-school standout who has been getting plenty of buckets at Class 1 Otterville since his freshman year.
The 6’3″ Neal is currently averaging 30 points a game during the beginning of his senior season. He recently surpassed the 1,700-point mark for his career and broke the school scoring record in the process.
“It was awesome,” said Neal of breaking 1,700 points and getting the record. “Hopefully, I can keep it going and get to 2,000 points.”
Neal has received his share of recruiting interest from schools such as Graceland (IA), Central College, Concordia University, Knox and St. Mary’s.
Neal has always been a natural scorer with the ability to shoot from the perimeter and create off the dribble. He has a quick first step to the basket and he makes his free throws so the points add up. He had 40 points in a game in a victory over Bunceton early in the season. As a junior, Neal averaged 26 points and led Otterville to a district championship and a berth in the sectional playoffs. He scored a career-high 56 points in a game last season.
“The 56 point game was a great experience,” Neal said. “I was getting to the basket and shooting a ton of free throws. My confidence kept growing and I kept shooting and the shots kept going in. Being a successful scorer is about never losing confidence as a shooter and getting to the rim when my shot is not falling.”
Despite scoring at a high rate and breaking school records, Neal stays motivated because it’s easy to be overlooked while playing at a Class 1 school in a small town.
“I feel like sometimes I have to earn people’s respect because I play at a Class 1 school,” Neal said. “People may not pay much attention because they may not think there’s talent in Class 1 schools.”
“Jake’s vision, court awareness and skill set transcend the level he currently plays at,” said former Otterville coach Jay Allen, who is now at Russellville. “That was quite evident during the summer on the AAU circuit, where he was often the most dynamic and dangerous scorer on the court.”