Impact Of A Scholarship: Dave Neal

As a young kid growing up in McLean, Virginia, Dave Neal dreamed of playing basketball for the Terps and then-head coach Gary Williams. 

His father often took him to games at Cole Field House growing up. There, Neal was introduced to the history and winning tradition of Maryland men’s basketball. This naturally molded him into a lifelong Terps fan, who made it his long-term goal to play for the 2002 national champions.  

“I loved basketball and going to Maryland games,” Neal said. “Seeing the fans, the intensity of Coach Williams and the electric environments. Win or lose, Cole Field House was still rocking.”

Neal went on to star for Bishop O'Connell High School, where renowned coach Joe Wooten recruited him. The 6-foot-7 big man stood out on the court while playing alongside and against lots of Division I talent in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). 

However, many college coaches were skeptical about how Neal’s game would translate to the next level as he entered his senior season. But he was determined to prove those people wrong. Holding scholarship offers from several mid-major programs, Neal bet on himself with the hope of landing a bigger offer — perhaps one from the school he grew up rooting for. 

“I was late to the game with committing,” Neal said. “I had offers from some great schools, schools I was very fortunate to have scholarships from. But I made the decision with Joe to put those off, just with anticipation of my senior year and hopes of playing at the highest level.”

Neal saved his best for last, averaging career bests of 20.2 points and 13.3 rebounds per game as a senior. He led O'Connell to a 31-3 record in 2004-05 alongside future North Carolina forward Marcus Ginyard. Neal earned First Team All-Met honors and was a unanimous First Team WCAC All-League choice. 

Offers from Clemson and Georgetown came midway through Neal’s final season, narrowing his top three to the latter, as well as Princeton. But everything changed when O'Connell faced off against DeMatha Catholic High School in one of the final games of the season. 

Williams attended the game looking to fill his final scholarship spot for the upcoming 2005-06 season. He watched as Neal led his team to victory while posting a double-double. 

“A couple of days later, I was walking out to my car in the senior parking lot,” Neal said. “It was Coach Williams, and he wanted to offer me a scholarship. [It was] a dream come true scenario.”

Neal never took an official visit to Maryland, nor did he meet Williams face-to-face. It didn’t matter. He had a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream and seized it. He took the offer. 

Williams was transparent with Neal, making it clear that he would need to continue to work to see the court. A chance was all he needed. 

“People didn't see me as an ACC-level basketball player,” Neal said. “I think Gary took a risk on me in some regards. I was very fundamentally sound, but wasn't the most exciting player. … He knew I had the little things in my game that would separate me from some of those guys that maybe had the better talent and better athleticism.”

A Terp from 2005-09, Neal didn’t become a full-time starter until his senior season when everything fell into place. That season, he helped the Terps back to the NCAA Tournament. Although it lost in the second round, Maryland was the only team to defeat North Carolina and Michigan State — the two teams that played in the 2009 national championship. 

Neal’s senior season produced many memorable moments. One is the charge he took on Tyler Hansbrough in the final minutes of regulation that led to an 88-85 overtime win over No. 3 North Carolina at XFINITY Center late in the season. The win helped propel the Terps to the NCAA Tournament. 

Another memorable moment that season for Neal came on senior night against No. 10 Wake Forest. Although the Terps lost, he scored a career and game-high of 19 points. Towards the end of the game, Maryland fans were chanting his name, as one side of the stadium yelled ‘Dave’ followed by the other shouting ‘Neal.’

Still, the greatest gift of all for Neal was receiving his scholarship to Maryland. He earned his bachelor’s in criminal justice while living out his dream. 

“They're giving kids an opportunity that is hard to put into words of what it means to someone,” Neal said. “I was a kid who grew up in Northern Virginia watching Maryland basketball, where there are probably hundreds of kids who do the same. To say that I got the opportunity, thanks to donors, to go to a top 10 school in the country for free is unspeakable.”    

“To have an opportunity to get a degree from the University of Maryland, and hang that on my wall, is something I’ll never forget. I'll share those stories with my kids and then talk to them about it as they get older.”

After wrapping up his Maryland basketball career, Neal debated pursuing a career in law enforcement or coaching. However, he instead got involved in IT recruiting with the help of a fellow Terp. 

He currently leads the people operations for Parcl and Parcl Labs. He’s also president of the Maryland Basketball coalition and helped build the roster for Shell Shock, the Maryland men’s basketball alumni team. 

The team competes yearly in The Basketball Tournament and recently won the James Madison Regional before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. The Maryland Basketball Coalition is about fostering old relationships and building new ones with people who shared that same journey. 

Neal’s story has come full circle, as he continues to be a part of the Maryland basketball family. It also serves as a teaching moment. Neal believed in himself when others didn’t, and that led to him living out his dream. 

“One thing I tell kids is if you believe in yourself, take the risk,” Neal said. “If you know you have the work ethic, the determination and the confidence in yourself to be a great basketball player, go all in.”