Jerel McNeal facts for kids

Jerel McNeal (born June 1, 1987) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played college basketball for Marquette University. After college, he played professionally in many countries like Belgium, Italy, China, Greece, Germany, and Israel. He even played a short time in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns in 2014.

Jerel McNeal's Early Life and High School Basketball

Jerel McNeal was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents are Edward and Meryln McNeal. He has two siblings, January and Jeremy.

He went to Hillcrest High School. There, he played basketball with Maurice Acker, who later became his teammate in college. In 2005, Jerel was named a third-team Parade All-American, which is a big honor for high school basketball players.

College Basketball Career at Marquette

Jerel McNeal played college basketball for Marquette University. He was known for his strong defense.

Defensive Player of the Year

In the 2006–07 season, when he was a sophomore, Jerel won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award. This showed how good he was at stopping opposing players.

Setting Records at Marquette

During the 2008–09 season, Jerel was the only guard chosen for the Big East's All-First Team. He was also named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press in 2009.

On February 10, 2009, Jerel broke a 41-year-old school record at Marquette. He passed George Thompson's record of 1,773 points, becoming Marquette's all-time leading scorer at that time. While another player, Markus Howard, later passed his scoring record, Jerel still holds Marquette's records for most steals, most field goals made, and most field goal attempts. He is also third in games played and seventh in assists for Marquette.

Professional Basketball Journey

After college, Jerel McNeal began his professional basketball career. He played for many teams in different leagues and countries.

Starting in Belgium and the NBA D-League (2009–2011)

After the 2009 NBA draft, Jerel joined the Sacramento Kings for the NBA Summer League. He later signed with the Los Angeles Clippers but was waived before the season started.

In November 2009, he went to Belgium to play for Dexia Mons-Hainaut. He left the team in March 2010.

In July 2010, he played in the Summer League again, this time with the Charlotte Bobcats and Chicago Bulls. He then joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D-League. In March 2011, he signed a short 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets but did not play in any games for them. He then returned to the Vipers.

Playing in Italy and Returning to the D-League (2011–2013)

In July 2011, Jerel signed with Sutor Basket Montegranaro in Italy for the 2011–12 season.

In September 2012, he signed with the Toronto Raptors but was waived in October. He then returned to the D-League, first with the Vipers, and then was traded to the Bakersfield Jam. In February 2013, he was chosen to play in the NBA D-League All-Star Game.

In March 2013, Jerel signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz and then signed for the rest of the season. He also played for the Jazz in the 2013 NBA Summer League. However, he was waived by the Jazz in September 2013 before playing in a regular season game for them.

Adventures in China and Back to the D-League (2013–2015)

In October 2013, Jerel signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China. He played 15 games before leaving the team in December 2013.

In February 2014, he rejoined the Bakersfield Jam. In August 2014, he signed with a Spanish team, Baloncesto Sevilla, but left before playing due to a family matter.

In January 2015, he returned to the Bakersfield Jam for a third time. He was named the NBA D-League Impact Player of the Year for his great performance.

NBA Debut with the Phoenix Suns (2015)

On April 1, 2015, Jerel McNeal signed a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns. The very next day, he made his official NBA debut, scoring two points in a game against the Golden State Warriors. He signed with the Suns for the rest of that season and into the next. However, he was waived by the Suns in July 2015. He still played for them in the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League.

Playing in Greece and Germany (2015–2017)

In July 2015, Jerel signed with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece for the 2015–16 season. He played well, averaging 14.1 points per game in league games and 14.4 points in EuroCup games.

In December 2016, he signed a two-month contract with the German club Brose Bamberg. He later re-signed with Bamberg for the rest of that season.

Time in Israel (2017–2020)

In August 2017, Jerel signed with a French team, SIG Strasbourg, but left shortly after.

On September 30, 2017, he signed a one-year deal with the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv. He had a great season, helping Hapoel reach the 2018 Israeli League Final Four. He averaged 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.

In November 2018, Jerel returned to Hapoel Tel Aviv for the 2018–19 season. He was chosen to play in the 2019 Israeli League All-Star game. His team made it to the playoffs again.

For the 2019–20 season, Jerel signed with Ironi Nahariya. He had a season-high 27 points in a game against his former team, Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The Basketball Tournament

Jerel McNeal also played in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in 2018 for the Golden Eagles team. In five games, he averaged 13.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. The Golden Eagles made it to the semi-finals of the tournament.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

College Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Jerel McNeal para niños