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UCLA Basketball: Shareef O’Neal to miss this season due to a heart issue

By Mike Regalado

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - AUGUST 07: Former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal (L) and son Shareef O'Neal at Apple Music Launch Party Carpool Karaoke: The Series with James Corden on August 7, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Apple)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - AUGUST 07: Former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal (L) and son Shareef O'Neal at Apple Music Launch Party Carpool Karaoke: The Series with James Corden on August 7, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Apple) /
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UCLA basketball freshman power forward Shareef O’Neal will miss the 2018-19 season as he will undergo heart surgery. What does this mean for him and the Bruins this season?

UCLA basketball head coach Steve Alford brought in the Top 5 recruiting class which includes six stellar freshmen. Unfortunately, they’re going to have to be without one of them as superstar power forward Shareef O’Neal will miss the season.

RELATED: Alex Olesinski to Miss the Start of the 2018-19 Season

On Friday it was reported that O’Neal, son of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, would miss the 2018-19 season due to a heart issue.

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TMZ has reported that UCLA doctors were able to find the undisclosed issue during a routine checkup. The issue is so severe that O’Neal is going to require heart surgery that he will undergo in the near future.

According to TMZ, O’Neal will remain in school and take classes during his recovery period. O’Neal has vowed to return, but so far there is no timetable set. It is also unknown if he will remain with the team, though we are hoping he will use the coming season to redshirt and be back with the Bruins for the 2019-2020 season.

Though the Bruins would’ve had one of the deepest rosters in Alford‘s tenure this year, this digs into the Bruins’ depth, especially after it was announced two days ago that redshirt junior forward Alex Olesinski would miss the first few months of the season to do a stress fracture in his foot.

With his talents, O’Neal would have been fighting for a starting spot, and at the very least, played solid minutes for the Bruins. Now they will have to look to their other big man for support.

UCLA will have to rely on freshmen Jalen Hill, Cody Riley, Moses Brown, and Kenny Nwuba to handle the frontcourt. Though they are young and inexperienced, they bring a lot of talent into the paint.

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O’Neal would have been a big weapon in UCLA’s arsenal this season, but some things are bigger than basketball. We here at Go Joe Bruin wish him a safe and speedy recovery. Get well soon, Shareef!