Shaquille O’Neal pushing Shareef towards Kentucky Wildcats

With the 2017 recruiting cycle heating up, it's never too early to look towards a 2018 class that's going to be loaded.

It also helps that the Kentucky Wildcats are in good position with guys like Romeo Langford, Marvin Bagley and Naz Reid. However, one of the biggest names in that class is the son of NBA Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal.

It's no secret that Shareef O'Neal has interest in Kentucky, as does his father. One would think Shaq would like to see his son play for alma mater LSU, but that may not be the case.

247 Sports got a chance to interview Shareef, and he said his dad is pushing him toward becoming a Wildcat.

"My dad actually wants me to lean towards Kentucky," Shareef said. "He has a good friendship with the coach there. I know a lot about that school because a lot of kids dream about going there. I like their style of play."

Perhaps the son of Shaq playing in Lexington is actually possible based on what both O'Neals are saying. It's still very early though, not to mention Shareef, while a very promising prospect, is ranked anywhere between 20-50 in various recruiting rankings.

John Calipari tends to go after guys in the top 10-15, and who can blame him when he typically lands 4-5 prospects in that range, leaving little-to-no room for others. As mentioned above, UK is already in good shape with three top-10 prospects in that class, and it's far too early to say how many scholarships will have in that class, even for the son of Shaq.

One thing is for sure though: If Calipari makes Shareef a priority, then UK will already be in good position for him.