Middle Tennessee Head Men's Basketball Coach Kermit Davis said O'Neil, who helped lead Lutheran Christian to a No. 3 national ranking among prep schools and a 34-3 overall record, has all the tools to be a solid contributor for the Blue Raiders during his collegiate career.

"Calvin played for a real good prep school and he comes from a basketball family," Davis said. "Coach Darryll Schofield produces quality players and Calvin is certainly one of those. He has very good size (6-foot-4 ½, 190 pounds) and he can play multiple guard positions. He's very competitive and really what you are getting is a 20-year-old freshman. In a lot of ways, personality-wise, he reminds me a lot of Michael Cuffee in that he has a very good demeanor and toughness that we lacked at some in the perimeter last year."

O'Neil, who said he had numerous Division I offers, indicated he was sold on Middle Tennessee after making his official visit last Wednesday, but he added the overriding factor in his decision was the commitment he saw from the Blue Raider staff, particularly Associate Head Coach Donnie Tyndall.

"The coaching staff at Middle Tennessee showed me a lot of support and I really liked the campus," O'Neil said. "I believe I fit the system well and I want to come in and be able to contribute. The biggest thing, though, was coach Tyndall. He drove from Tennessee to New Jersey just to meet my grandmother (Carol) and that weighed heavily. It showed that he cared not only about me as a player, but he went the extra mile to meet my grandmother and talk to her about Middle Tennessee. That meant a lot."

O'Neil averaged 16 points, six rebounds, four steals, four assists and two blocks per game on a Lutheran Christian squad that averaged 112 points per game and had 10 Division I signees. Coach Schofield said O'Neil was a driving force on the team and will be an impact player at Middle Tennessee.

"Calvin is quick and he's an excellent shooter," Schofield said. "He plays great defense and he can penetrate and get to the rim. Middle Tennessee's recruiting of this young man was outstanding and that was the difference in taking him away from some major Division I schools. Coach Tyndall did a tremendous job recruiting Calvin. (Tyndall) was relentless and the phone never stopped ringing during the period when coaches could call. That was the difference in Calvin signing with Middle Tennessee.

"We gear everything to getting our players ready for the next level and Calvin knows what to expect when he gets there. He is ready to take that next step."

O'Neil said he wants to be a vital part of the Middle Tennessee program from the outset. He believes he has the tools to be a four-year starter but the humble guard said he also knows his role.

"Middle Tennessee is getting a person who plays hard," O'Neil said. "I'm not one to complain. I have a very positive attitude and I'm very team-oriented. I'm not a selfish person at all. I will do whatever the team needs me to do in order to have success. That's the most important thing where I'm concerned."

O'Neil is the second player from a prep school on the East Coast to sign with the Blue Raiders in the last five years. The other was Tommy Gunn, who played at Middle Tennessee from 2001-2004 and ended his career as the No. 3 all-time leading scorer in school history. Gunn, a Syracuse, N.Y., native, played at Bridgton Academy in Connecticut.

In addition to O'Neil, the Middle Tennessee 2005 signing class includes five prep players in Theryn Hudson, a two-time All-State center from La Vergne High School; Darren Avery, a 6-3 guard from Corinth, Miss.; Deno Hair, a 6-8 power forward from Picayune, Miss., and Kevin Kanaskie, a 6-2 point guard from State College, Pa. Additionally, Brian Lake will be included in the freshman class after taking a medical redshirt last season.

Middle Tennessee also signed three junior college guards in Emanuel "Bud" Howard and Marques "Doc" Dawson, Lincoln Trail Community College; and Adam Vogelsberg, Cloud County Community College.

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