The Florida A&M University (FAMU) has recently generated significant buzz in the college basketball scenario. It started with FAMU Rattlers’ newly appointed head coach Patrick Crarey II releasing 16 players. While the move received some criticism, the intent was clear — a rebuild. And the most recent development under this has been the signing of Shaquille O’Neal‘s son, Shaqir.

The news of the move was shared by the official Instagram pages of the FAMU. Although Shaunie Henderson had already celebrated her son’s achievement through an IG story, she has now re-shared the post by Florida A&M Men’s Basketball. “Congratulations @shaqironeall He’s now headed to @famu_mbb” she wrote in the caption. “… O’Neal had season-highs of nine points versus Biblical Studies (Houston), eight points at New Mexico, and six points at Creighton last season,” read the caption to @famu_mbb post.

The 21-year-old earlier played for Texas Southern Tigers as a forward. Playing two seasons with the team, he averaged just 1.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 8.2 minutes per game. So this is not just a rebuilding move for the Rattlers, but also an opportunity for Shaquille O’Neal’s 21-year-old son to improve upon this roster with his new team.

Shaqir’s new coach, Crarey, has great expectations of him. As per the official website of FAMU Athletics, Crarey is of the opinion that Shaqir already has played in one of the premier programs in the conference for a great head coach. The 21-year-old earlier played under coach Johnny Jones for the Tigers. Jones has nearly 4 decades of experience in the profession and some notable accolades to his name. Guided by the 63-year-old, Shaqir “brings versatility, athleticism, and experience” to Rattlers, as stated by Crarey.

As stated earlier, the reported release of 16 players from the Rattlers brought criticism to the new coach. However, apart from Shaqir’s recent move, the team also acquired 4 other players to its 2024-25 roster. These include Jamine Charles (a 6’11 forward from Blinn Junior College), Lenard Taylor (a 6’2 guard from Clarendon College), Kaleb Washington (a 6’8 guard from Butler Community College), and Tyler Shirley (a 6’8 forward from Clayton State). The recent developments towards the rebuild seem to have changed the perception of Crarey.

How have the netizens reacted to the recent update on Shaquille O’Neal’s son?

One user’s comment, “COACH IS WORKING,” is a testament to this. Meanwhile, another comment “LET HIM COOK” could be a reference to either of the parties. While the comment could be a hint to Shaqir improving on his performance hereon, it could also very well be a reference to the coach rebuilding the team.

One user expressed the possibility of Bryce James being next in line. “Yo @_justbryce you next…” Bryce, as of now, is entering his senior season at Sierra Canyon. And he is a 3-star prospect in the 2025 college recruiting class. But as per 247Sports, the 17-year-old has so far only two offers, including Ohio State and Duquesne. Furthermore, there are no reports of the Rattlers expressing any interest in him.

Amid all of this, one user pointed out the hypocrisy of those who were earlier criticizing Patrick. “Funny they was just mad at the new coach last week for releasing all the players to start over from scratch… Saying he ain’t know what he was doing and what about the other kids,” he wrote. Meanwhile, another user demanded what the coach deserved. “Nahhh yall better give that man that contract…” he stated.

The FAMU management met in June this year to discuss Crarey’s contract worth $450,000, signed by him on April 17. However, the management put the contract on hold after trustees’ concerns following the release of players from the team. But now the coach seems to have fan support for himself.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.