Liam McNeeley, Rob Wright, Derik Queen react as Curtis Givens III announces commitment

Former LSU Tigers' Curtis Givens III will lace up for the Memphis Tigers next season. On Tuesday, the guard declared his allegiance to Penny Hardaway's program through an Instagram post. The Bluff City native joined the college circuit as a top 50 recruit in the nation, bringing three years of eligibility to his home.

He came off the bench in the majority of his games as a freshman, averaging 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 26.9% efficiency.

"Back to the basicsⓂ️#gtg #committed," he captioned the post.

Fans reacted to Givens' decision. UConn's Liam McNeeley, Baylor Bears' Rob Wright and Maryland Terrapins' Derik Queen also let their thoughts be known.

"🔥," Wright commented.

"Yeaahhhhh," McNeeley reacted.

"Celebrating at love🔥🔥🔥🎉🎉🎉," Queen wrote.

UConn, Baylor Bears, and Maryland Terrapins' standouts comment on Givens' post | via @lilcurtis3/ig

Like Curtis Givens III's transition from LSU to the Tigers, Liam McNeeley, Rob Wright and Derik Queen's basketball paths are also changing.

After a stellar freshman season under Dan Hurley, McNeeley has declared for the 2025 NBA draft. He averaged 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds the previous season and is expected to be a mid-first-round pick.

Derik Queen will also anticipate his name being called in Brooklyn next month. He led the Terrapins by averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while making 52.6% of his attempts. He earned Big Ten honors and is expected to be a top 10 pick.

Robert Wright averaged 11.5 points on a 41.4% clip alongside 4.2 assists for the Baylor Bears last season. He entered the transfer portal and will now play alongside one of the top recruits in the nation, AJ Dybantsa, at BYU.

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What does Curtis Givens III bring to Penny Hardaway's Memphis?

Curtis Givens III entered the college circuit as a four-star recruit and a top 10 guard in his class. As the guard joins Memphis after his freshman season with LSU, the biggest hole in his game comes through his efficiency. He made just 49 of 182 shots last season.

However, it is expected to change behind Penny Hardaway's knack for developing guards. With that, Givens could immediately translate his defense and floor vision for the Tigers.