By ALEJANDRO LOPEZ & SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — In a game dominated by giants, smaller prospects have to go above and beyond to break through at the next level. Class of 2026 guard Dionte Neal understands this reality better than most.
As a point guard, Neal, who attends Reidsville High School (NC), stands at 5-foot-9. He’s often the smallest player on the court, but that hasn’t stopped him from producing at a high level. For Team CP3 this summer, Neal averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds across 19 games.
Neal particularly upped his game at Peach Jam, having two games where he was undoubtedly the best player on the court. Against Drive Nation, Neal posted 23 points, six assists and two steals. He also performed well against Vegas Elite, where he had 18 points, nine assists and zero turnovers. Both games resulted in wins, and Neal took over the two games down the stretch with his scoring and playmaking.
“I feel like size doesn’t matter,” Neal said. “People probably doubt me because of my height or whatever, but I can guard any guard in the country.”
In the Drive Nation game, there was a sequence where Neal had back-to-back and-one finishes. After the second, Neal’s teammate, Oregon commit Kendre Harrison, shouted “you’re the best in the country!”
“Everybody on my team, they just give me confidence to go do what I do,” Neal said. “I put it in the work. They know I put in the work. So they believed in me to go do what I do.”
Neal isn’t just a standout on the basketball court. He’s also a highly-touted football player, playing quarterback, receiver and defensive back. While Neal plays both sports, he said he’s talked with his family and will likely stick to basketball at the next level, but playing both is still a possibility. One of Neal’s CP3 teammates, Cole Cloer, described Neal as a winner, no matter what he’s playing.
“That’s all you need to know,” Cloer said. “He doesn’t lose in anything he does. He wins in legit every single thing. He wins in football. He wins in basketball. He wins drills in practice. He wins drills in football practice. He wins 7-on-7s in football. He wins matchups in football. He beats every point guard that plays him. He wins that matchup and people are still sleep. He’s a winner. He’s the best winner in the country. He don’t lose.”
Dionte Neal at EYBL Session 1 with Team CP3! @dionte_neal @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/JOCEwI5WBh
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) May 6, 2025
On the recruitment front, Neal has narrowed down his final schools list to six: Appalachian State, Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Old Dominion and UNCG. Neal took official visits to Boston College and UNCG and will also trip App State on Sept. 6.
He broke down a few of these programs in Augusta:
UNCG: “They’ve been there since day one, to be honest. Since ninth grade, they’ve been texting me every single day and literally don’t miss a day. They’re definitely close to home. So that’s a good school.
Boston College: “That’s pretty far, but that doesn’t have anything to do with it. Coach Steve Smith, they’ve been on me, coach [Earl] Grant. They look out. They text every day as well. It’s an ACC school, so the highest competition. Yeah, they’re definitely one of my top schools right now.”
App State: “Again, close to home. Coach [Dustin] Kerns been on me since tenth grade. So they text every day as well. Very family oriented, and I love that about them. And if I were to go there, I would be able to play both.”
Playing with Team CP3, Neal has been given the opportunity to learn from one of the NBA’s great undersized guards: Chris Paul.
“He’s probably one of the best point guards ever,” Neal said. “[I’ve learned] his ability to control the game, get teammates involved, know where to go when the shot’s not going down. When to go, what sets to call, and then different defenses. He’s a players’ coach.”
When Neal makes his final decision, he’s looking for a place where it feels like home.
“Academics, and someone who is going to take me into his family,” Neal told ZAGSBLOG. “Obviously, getting to play early.”
Neal won North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year Award in 2024-25 after averaging 22.8 points, 9.1 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.9 rebounds per game. He led Reidsville to a 31-0 record and state title. He had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists in the title game. Neal is also a great student, boasting a 3.69 GPA.
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