I went to college with Gary Neal

[Black_N_Silver]

First post on Spurstalk.

I have noticed within the last few weeks, that many of you have started to respect the talents of one Gary Neal.

I went to Towson University with Gary, and if you are interested, I would be happy to share some information on the sharpshooter. I watched many of our home basketball games when he was here, and I also had lunch with the man on a semi-regular basis.

I was disappointed when he wasn't drafted, but was also very excited to find that the Spurs had signed him to a contract before this season.

If you want to know anything about him, I might have some answers.

Note: I am not here just to post about Gary, I have actually become a Spurs fan gradually over the years. I like the way they play the game. I enjoy fundamental basketball, I like good defense. I just appreciate how the organization is run. They are a solid franchise.

Go Spurs!

[Brazil]

welcome on board !

[Leonard Curse]

sweet do you know what kind of player he was when the game was on the line? was he serious about basketball? i think hes a leader thats what i get from him anyway, do you think he has has a leadership mentality?

[Nathan89]

Note: I am not here just to post about Gary, I have actually become a Spurs fan gradually over the years. I like the way they play the game. I enjoy fundamental basketball, I like good defense. I just appreciate how the organization is run. They are a solid franchise.

Go Spurs!

Good defense is a thing of the past. So I hope that's not a deal breaker.

[Black_N_Silver]

sweet do you know what kind of player he was when the game was on the line? was he serious about basketball? i think hes a leader thats what i get from him anyway, do you think he has has a leadership mentality?

Being on a terrible Towson team, Gary was virtually our first option on every single possession. If the game was on the line, it was pretty much a guarantee he was going to get the ball.

While he has always had a nice stroke from beyond the arc, he also drove in for a layup on numerous occasions. I've personally seen two game winning shots from him in my time at Towson. He basically took over our team when it really came down to it. He has always been passionate about basketball, which I thought was obvious when watching him on the court, and talking to him off the court.

You could typically see him yelling at teammates on the court to pick up the pace, or to get back on defense, or to do whatever it was that was needed at the time. He was definitely a leader for our team.

I will say this though, he is DEFINITELY a shooting guard more than anything else. At least, that's what I got from the way he played. He is a shooter at heart, and likely always will be. His college box scores would often look ridiculous, with stats like:

14 for 26 from the field, 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

He was always a shoot first, pass second kind of guy. Though, with all the time overseas and now with the Spurs, I'm sure his approach may have changed a little.

Whats most important though, is that Gary is a winner. He plays the game and he is intent on winning.

[Black_N_Silver]

Good defense is a thing of the past. So I hope that's not a deal breaker.

Hahaha. Yes, it's not so good anymore. I used to love Bruce Bowen.

[NASpurs]

I have a question. Were you the other guy?

[lefty]

Was Neal a straight shooter in college?

Because we already have Jefferson

[Cessation]

I have a question. Were you the other guy?


lol Choo Chooo1!! Gary Neal is awsome!!:downspin: I like the way he shoot triples in peoples faces. He's averaging 8 points in 12 minutes :ihit

[Black_N_Silver]

I have a question. Were you the other guy?

In all honesty, we really tried to avoid talking about that. It wasn't so much a touchy subject as it was a "It's in the past" type of thing.

When it did come up though (which was infrequently) he always acted really mature about it. During lunch one time, he said "Man, people are going to believe whatever they are told, but I know what really happened, and she does too".

He was acquitted, after all.

I'm not the person to say whether he was guilty or not. But he was a really mild-mannered guy when we would just hang out and eat. From what I saw from him, I couldn't imagine him doing something like that. But I mean, when you are drinking and stuff, who knows.

[sananspursfan21]

did you guys you know.... do it?

[duncan228]

Welcome to the board. Appreciate the first hand insight to his game. :toast

[ElNono]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2755/4151844310_83e89ea865_z.jpg?zz=1

[pawe]

I knew someone had to ask that question.
You just cant help letting it out dont you?

[rascalpascal09]

another BUMP classic

[Leonard Curse]

Being on a terrible Towson team, Gary was virtually our first option on every single possession. If the game was on the line, it was pretty much a guarantee he was going to get the ball.

While he has always had a nice stroke from beyond the arc, he also drove in for a layup on numerous occasions. I've personally seen two game winning shots from him in my time at Towson. He basically took over our team when it really came down to it. He has always been passionate about basketball, which I thought was obvious when watching him on the court, and talking to him off the court.

You could typically see him yelling at teammates on the court to pick up the pace, or to get back on defense, or to do whatever it was that was needed at the time. He was definitely a leader for our team.

I will say this though, he is DEFINITELY a shooting guard more than anything else. At least, that's what I got from the way he played. He is a shooter at heart, and likely always will be. His college box scores would often look ridiculous, with stats like:

14 for 26 from the field, 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

He was always a shoot first, pass second kind of guy. Though, with all the time overseas and now with the Spurs, I'm sure his approach may have changed a little.

Whats most important though, is that Gary is a winner. He plays the game and he is intent on winning.


wow thats the way i kind of imagined him, thank you so much for the scoop i appreciate it, and i do hope you become a spurs fan aka underdogs for life haha. but hey this is going to be an exciting season especially with the way gary neal is playing. im proud to know someone that went to school with him and knew him on a personal level. again thanks and welcome
:flag:

[Black_N_Silver]

I also want everyone to know this. Neal is one of the best three point shooters I have ever seen. I am not saying this just because I went to school with him, I truly believe it. His form is nearly impeccable. Most importantly though, he is FEARLESS. It doesn't matter who is guarding him. It doesn't matter how he has shot previously. If he gets the green light, beyond the arc it goes.

I will admit, he isn't always consistent. Either he is always on, or he is always off. Regardless though, he will not back down.

There is this guy, Roger Mason Jr. on the Knicks who used to be a fearless shooter. You all probably know him quite well since he played here (right?). Anyway, to me, he was a really good shooter until he started to second guess himself, which is where he went downhill. I am not going to guarantee anything, but I can assure you that Neal will stay passionate about his game. He believes in his game, and he believes in his shot. He has told me so 3 or 4 times this exact thing.

And for his sake, and for our schools reputation, I hope he meant it.

[TDMVPDPOY]

were you also at the party where the train happen

:D:D

[Cessation]

Yes, mason sucks, he faded after his bad shooting in the playoffs, and never recovered, it got in his head. Neal appears to be much stronger mentally, so its nice to get first hand confirmation of this. His shot is very pretty too, he puts his whole body into it. I also think its cool to run trains.

[Black_N_Silver]

Hahaha.

You guys and this train stuff make me laugh.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the insight on your friend. He is playing great and just what the team needed. I'm glad he's on our team, as he does seem "fearless" and believes in his shot. Welcome!

[UnWantedTheory]

uh, coo.

[duhoh]

I have a question. Were you the other guy?

:lmao

:nope

[will_spurs]

Actually one question I'd have is re: scouting at the college level, especially when it comes to small colleges who (I assume) are getting low exposure on the national (or even regional?) level.

Did you feel his talent was a clear step above everybody else? That might not have been sufficient to turn him into a NBA-level talent, but in a way what I'd like to know is whether there were other players on the team with similar talent who didn't make it to the top because of smaller things that added up to a lot, because of intangibles or simply sometimes motivation, mental fortitude and so on. Or whether he was clearly a couple of notches above everybody else in the first place anyway, and other players were left thinking "if this guy struggles to make it to the pro level, then I really have no chance of making a pro basketball career of any kind"?

[Pauleta14]

Thks Black N Silver! (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=22959)

I'm a little concerned about his size, I mean, being the go to guy, what was the opposite coaches's tactics against him?
Does Gary has any trouble being guard by taller players, or when double teamed?

We are actually seing the best of him (in short playing time), but what will happen when the other eams will start respecting him...?
(http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=22959)

[8FOR!3]

What worries me is if he's straight up not a point guard, will Pop try and make him one?

Great insight and welcome to SpursTalk man. Sounds like Gary Neal is a good person, a hell of a player, and a natural leader. Awesome stuff.

[it's me]

I went to college with Gary Neal

Chooo Choooo!!!

Welcome nonetheless :toast

[Pauleta14]

Neal said he used to play PG in a recent interview.

But we've already seen that he handles the ball better than Mason Jr...
That's enough for me!

[Chachachango]

Lol, Neal probably has the best nickname in the NBA.

[EricB]

This forum has fallen so far. You people's maturity is disgusting.

[BanditHiro]

This forum has fallen so far. You people's maturity is disgusting.

....

[Cry Havoc]

Thanks for the thread, Black_and_Silver. Always nice to get a personal perspective on a player. We have some people on the forum who hang out with Manu Ginobili as well, if I recall.

Don't mind the trolls. They're just idiots who haven't realized that that kind of obvious trolling was already old by the end of the 90s.

[Madhops]

Hey my first post too! It's very cool that you went to school with Gary Neal. I think he's a great fit, we needed someone to shoot with abandon whose last name isn't Mason.

I heard him on the post game the other day, he kinda sounds like Tracy Morgan.

[Cessation]

Choooo chooo~!!

[dbestpro]

I have a question. Were you the other guy?

SpongeBob ripped his pants, again.