Gophers land former FIU recruit Daquein McNeil

The University of Minnesota Gophers and basketball coach Richard Pitino have added the first player to the freshman Class of 2013, swaying former Florida International University recruit Daquein McNeil to Minnesota.

At 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, McNeil is undersized even for a point guard, but the three-star recruit from Baltimore is talented enough to have been offered scholarships to Louisville, Rutgers and VCU among a few other Division I schools, including FIU.

McNeil will follow the coaching staff that recruited him out of high school. It will also mean jumping into a tougher conference, a definite upgrade from the likes of the Sun Belt Conference.

The Gophers lacked a true point guard in the 2012-13 season which perhaps McNeil could fill the void, but how likely he’ll play as a freshman is yet to be known.

McNeil’s highlight video shows him as a speedy guard with ups and great ability to finish around the rim. What it doesn’t show is McNeil taking a jump shot, however.

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