Dionte Neal recommits to UNCG basketball after reopening recruitment

Dionte Neal chose UNC Greensboro again, recommitting to the Spartans 40 days after reopening his recruitment and turning a routine roster update into a statement about keeping one of the Triad’s biggest stars close to home. For UNCG, the move keeps a nationally known Reidsville senior in Greensboro and gives the program a local face as it tries to rebound from a 15-19 season.

Neal reopened his recruitment on March 11, 2026, two days after UNCG fired head coach Mike Jones. Jones went 93-69 in five seasons, but the Spartans finished 9-9 in conference play last season and have spent the spring trying to stabilize their future. Neal had originally committed to UNCG on Sept. 14, 2025, and the school announced that he signed his National Letter of Intent on March 19, before he reaffirmed his commitment on April 20.

Other schools entered the picture after the coaching change, including Wake Forest University and North Carolina A&T State University, but Neal made clear that Greensboro remained his fit. He said UNCG was home and indicated he wanted to keep both basketball and football options open, a reminder that his recruiting value reaches far beyond one sport.

That matters because Neal’s high school career is already among the most decorated in North Carolina history. He is Reidsville’s all-time leading scorer, reportedly the first boys basketball player in the state to reach 1,000 career assists, and one of the state’s all-time leaders in assists and steals. One profile listed him at 34.7 points and 8.1 assists per game this season, while another put him at 35.6 points and 8.6 assists, numbers that helped drive Reidsville to a 23-2 regular season and a Class 4A state championship game appearance.

Neal’s senior year also included a 63-point game that broke Reidsville’s single-game scoring record. Across his career, Reidsville went 109-3 and won two state championships, including a football title in which Neal played a key role as a two-sport standout. He also became the first Greensboro-area athlete to win back-to-back North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year honors, and the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association named him one of its 2025-26 boys players of the year.

For UNCG, keeping Neal is more than landing a three-star prospect. It is a chance to build credibility with elite Triad athletes, reconnect with fans who know his name from Reidsville to Greensboro, and turn one of the region’s most visible high school stars into a reason to watch the Spartans again.