Craig Duane Neal is an American former professional basketball player and longtime basketball coach.
A 6-foot-5 point guard, Neal played college basketball at Georgia Tech before entering the NBA in 1988.
He was selected 71st overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1988 NBA Draft.
Neal played 63 NBA regular-season games for the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
His NBA career averages were 2.5 points, 0.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
At Georgia Tech, Neal became one of the ACC’s notable playmakers and recorded 303 assists during the 1987-88 season.
Craig Neal Career Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Craig Duane Neal |
| Date of Birth | February 16, 1964 |
| Nationality | American |
| Position | Point Guard |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Current/Last Team | Nevada Wolf Pack — Associate Head Coach |
| Draft Year | 1988 |
| Draft Pick | 71st Overall |
| Professional Career | 1988–1995 |
| Jersey Numbers | 10, 11, 22 |
Craig Neal NBA Career Stats
| Statistic | Career Total |
|---|---|
| Games | 63 |
| Games Started | 0 |
| Minutes | 625 |
| Points | 158 |
| Rebounds | 45 |
| Assists | 155 |
| Steals | 28 |
| Blocks | 4 |
| Turnovers | 73 |
| Personal Fouls | 96 |
Craig Neal’s NBA playing career covered two seasons of regular-season action. He appeared in 53 games during the 1988-89 season and returned to the NBA for 10 games with Denver in 1990-91.
Craig Neal Per Game Career Stats
| Statistic | Per Game |
|---|---|
| Points | 2.5 |
| Rebounds | 0.7 |
| Assists | 2.5 |
| Steals | 0.4 |
| Blocks | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.2 |
| Minutes | 9.9 |
As a point guard, Neal’s NBA statistical profile was centered more on ball distribution than scoring. He finished his NBA career with 155 assists compared with 158 points.
Craig Neal Shooting Stats
| Statistic | Career Record |
|---|---|
| Field Goals Made | 59 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 158 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 37.3% |
| Three-Pointers Made | 13 |
| Three-Pointers Attempted | 43 |
| Three-Point Percentage | 30.2% |
| Free Throws Made | 27 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 45 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 60.0% |
| Effective FG Percentage | 41.5% |
Craig Neal Season-by-Season Stats
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-89 | Portland Trail Blazers | 21 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 1988-89 | Miami Heat | 32 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| 1990-91 | Denver Nuggets | 10 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 3.7 |
Neal’s strongest NBA season statistically came in 1990-91 with Denver, where he averaged 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 10 games.
Craig Neal International Stats
| Competition | Games | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIBA Americas Championship | 7 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Neal represented the United States at the 1993 FIBA Americas Championship, appearing in seven games.
Craig Neal College Statistics
Before his NBA career, Neal played five seasons at Georgia Tech from 1983-84 through 1987-88. He finished his college career with 127 games, 818 points, 197 rebounds and 659 assists.
| Statistic | Georgia Tech Career |
|---|---|
| Games | 127 |
| Points | 818 |
| Rebounds | 197 |
| Assists | 659 |
| Steals | 127 |
| Blocks | 22 |
| Points Per Game | 6.4 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 1.6 |
| Assists Per Game | 5.2 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 45.6% |
| Free Throw Percentage | 76.3% |
Craig Neal College Season-by-Season Stats
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-84 | Georgia Tech | 28 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 2.9 |
| 1984-85 | Georgia Tech | 4 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 2.3 |
| 1985-86 | Georgia Tech | 34 | 5.6 | 1.3 | 2.8 |
| 1986-87 | Georgia Tech | 29 | 7.5 | 1.8 | 5.9 |
| 1987-88 | Georgia Tech | 32 | 7.7 | 2.1 | 9.5 |
Neal’s 1987-88 senior season was his standout college campaign. He averaged 7.7 points and 9.5 assists per game while setting the ACC single-season record with 303 assists.
Craig Neal Career Highs
| Statistic | Career High |
|---|---|
| Points | 13 |
| Rebounds | 5 |
| Assists | 9 |
| Steals | 3 |
| Blocks | 1 |
Neal’s college career highs were considerably higher in the playmaking category, reflecting his role as Georgia Tech’s primary point guard. His 19 assists against Duke in 1987-88 remain one of the most notable single-game assist performances in Georgia Tech history.
Craig Neal Awards & Achievements
| Achievement | Total |
|---|---|
| WBL All-Star | 1 |
| ACC All-Conference Selection | 1 |
| ACC Single-Season Assist Record | 303 assists |
| Mountain West Tournament Championship as Head Coach | 1 |
| NCAA Tournament Appearance as Head Coach | 1 |
| New Mexico Head Coaching Wins | 76 |
Neal earned third-team All-ACC recognition during his Georgia Tech career and was selected to the WBL All-Star Game in 1991. As a coach, he led New Mexico to the 2014 Mountain West Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Craig Neal Team Career
| Team | Seasons | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1988-89 | 21 | 25 |
| Miami Heat | 1988-89 | 32 | 89 |
| Denver Nuggets | 1990-91 | 10 | 44 |
| NBA Total | — | 63 | 158 |
Neal also played professionally outside the NBA, including stops in the USBL, CBA and World Basketball League. Those competitions are kept separate from his NBA statistics.
Craig Neal Position-Specific Statistics
As a point guard, Craig Neal’s most important statistical contribution was playmaking. His college career illustrates this particularly well, as he finished with 659 assists in 127 games and averaged 5.2 assists per game.
| Category | Career Figure |
|---|---|
| NBA Points Per Game | 2.5 |
| NBA Rebounds Per Game | 0.7 |
| NBA Assists Per Game | 2.5 |
| NBA Steals Per Game | 0.4 |
| NBA Three-Point Percentage | 30.2% |
| NBA Free Throw Percentage | 60.0% |
| Georgia Tech Assists Per Game | 5.2 |
| Georgia Tech Career Assists | 659 |
Craig Neal Career Records & Milestones
| Record | Achievement |
|---|---|
| NBA Career Games | 63 |
| NBA Career Points | 158 |
| NBA Career Assists | 155 |
| Georgia Tech Career Assists | 659 |
| Georgia Tech Single-Season Assists | 303 |
| Georgia Tech Single-Game Assists | 19 |
| 1987-88 Assists Per Game | 9.5 |
| New Mexico Head Coaching Record | 76-52 |
| Mountain West Tournament Championship | 2014 |
Neal’s most significant statistical milestone came during his senior season at Georgia Tech, when he produced 303 assists in 1987-88. His 19-assist game against Duke also stands among the program’s top single-game assist performances.
His coaching career added another significant chapter to his basketball résumé. Neal posted a 76-52 record in four seasons as New Mexico’s head coach, including a 27-7 record and Mountain West Tournament championship during the 2013-14 season.
Craig Neal Coaching Statistics
| School | Seasons | Games | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 2013-14 to 2016-17 | 128 | 76 | 52 | .594 |
| Total | 4 Seasons | 128 | 76 | 52 | .594 |
Neal later returned to college basketball as an associate head coach at Nevada, where he has worked on Steve Alford’s staff since 2019.
Craig Neal Career Summary
Craig Neal finished his NBA playing career with 63 games, 158 points, 45 rebounds and 155 assists, averaging 2.5 points, 0.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. His NBA shooting percentages were 37.3% from the field, 30.2% from three-point range and 60.0% from the free-throw line. His most notable statistical achievements came at Georgia Tech, where he recorded 659 career assists and set an ACC single-season record with 303 assists in 1987-88. Neal later built a successful coaching résumé, leading New Mexico to a 76-52 record and the 2014 Mountain West Tournament championship.
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