LAS VEGAS — On the same floor at T-Mobile Arena where the NBA held its In-Season Tournament semifinals and finals, it also hosted the Nike EYBL Scholastic Showcase, an event featuring some of the nation's top prep school teams. That included Montverde Academy, the program that produced former IU star and current Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and currently includes Indiana commitment Liam McNeeley and target Derik Queen.

Montverde won its clash Friday night with defending GEICO national champion Link Academy of Missouri 71-59. Queen posted 20 points and nine rebounds and McNeeley scored 14 points. Players were not available to speak to the media after the game. Observations on each player follow.

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Liam McNeeley

Link has two of the nation's best guards in Tre Johnson and Labaron Philon, ranked No. 5 and No. 27 in 247Sports composite rankings and committed to Texas and Kansas, respectively. What they don't have is big men who can match up with Queen (No. 12) and Duke-bound big wing Cooper Flagg (No. 1) so they spent most of the game playing zone and also operating a zone press. That meant McNeely's charge was simple: Just shoot 3s.

Link has some fast-moving guards, and Montverde needed good ball movement to produce good shots, but they got enough of it to set McNeeley up for eight relatively clean 3-point attempts. He knocked down four of those with a quick release, good form and excellent arc. He was constantly ready to fire whether Montverde was moving the ball in the half-court or pitching it ahead to him on a press break. He didn't attempt a single 2-point shot but was raring to go from 3 from the early going when he banked in a 3 to start the scoring.

The Hoosiers might ask the 6-7, 190-pound McNeeley, ranked No. 16 in the class, to do a little more attacking off the dribble, but there are obviously less opportunities to attack closeouts in a zone when reinforcements were already in position. More importantly, they need a willing shooter more than anything else at the moment. The Hoosiers have yet to hit more than the four 3-pointers McNeeley hit Friday in a single game this season and they've failed to hit even that number in five of their eight games.

McNeeley is a willing passer and rebounder — he had two assists and three rebounds — and defends his position reasonably well with excellent length. He could add more to his game if he is to become an All-Big Ten caliber player, but he's a ready-made shooter right away.

Derik Queen

There aren't many high school players in the country who can hang in the middle with the 6-10, 240-pound Queen, which is why Link tried to make sure it had two bodies around him at all times, hence the zone.

More often than not, Queen was able to maneuver around multiple defenders for hook shots and layups. His footwork in the post is exceptional as is his touch around the rim. Occasionally his attempts are too soft and he doesn't do enough with his body to keep defenders far away from the ball and that made for some blocks in Friday's game, but that seems correctible. He did draw plenty of contact, and while he was 6-of-10 from the floor, he was also 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. His form on his free throws is excellent and he puts the same touch on the ball as he does closer to the rim. Any teams who try to play him physical around the rim should be aware that he's nearly automatic from the foul line.

At this point, however, Queen doesn't have nearly the perimeter skill set that IU forward Malik Reneau had at Montverde. His offensive game is strictly post-based, and though he showed some skill as a passer in the middle of the floor against Link's zone press, he struggled when he had to dribble in the open floor, which led to three turnovers. He doesn't have the same body type as Reneau and post play will obviously be his bread and butter, but the game is becoming more perimeter-oriented even for big men and Queen will have to make improvements there if he wants to expand his game at the college and at some point the pro level.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball recruiting: Liam McNeeley, Derik Queen shine in Vegas