Shareef O’Neal is leaving UCLA and plans to transfer.
O’Neal, the son of former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, said in a statement on Twitter that he has left UCLA. He did not specifically say in the Twitter note that he was going to transfer, but he talked about the “next chapter.”
Next chapter… thank you pic.twitter.com/EzHd6zRnuE
— Shareef O’Neal (@SSJreef) January 23, 2020
Bruins head basketball coach Mick Cronin said he met with O’Neal on Tuesday and the big man shared his plans to transfer.
“After meeting with Shareef on Tuesday, he told me that he plans to transfer. We fully support his decision and are wishing him all the best.”
O’Neal took a medical redshirt as a freshman after doctors discovered he had a heart condition for which he underwent surgery. O’Neal was cleared to play this season but has only appeared in 13 games. He’s averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game.
O’Neal originally was an Arizona commit but switched to UCLA. He joined the program when Steve Alford was head coach. Alford was fired last year and Cronin was hired in April.
