Jake O’Neil thought the opportunity to play college basketball had passed him by.

And it still might. But the Fruitland High School alum is giving it a shot anyway.

He entered the basketball transfer portal Wednesday to end his collegiate golf career at Boise State.

"Secretly, I was rooting for him to go back to basketball," Fruitland boys basketball and golf coach Willie Lake said. "I told Jake, 'If you're good enough to play golf at the end of it, then you're good enough.' There's no draft. He can still explore that option down the road. I just think his passion right now is fully with basketball and he has some unfinished business there."

O’Neil, 18, had juggled both basketball and golf since he was 4.

He was a three-year starter, a three-time All-Snake River Valley Conference Player, including the Player of the Year in 2018, and helped Fruitland win a state championship that same year.

In golf, O’Neil won the Idaho Junior Golf Association championship at 14 and posted two top-5 finishes nationally at American Junior Golf Association events. He was also a three-time District III champion and a state champion for the Grizzlies.

So he had offers for both golf and basketball.

"To be that good at dual sports, they don't come along very often," Lake said. "I've been coaching both sports for more than 15 years and he's easily one of the best athletes I've ever seen. There's no real secret as to why he is either. The kid just works tirelessly to be the best at whatever he's doing."

O’Neil landed awkwardly while coming down from a routine layup drill before the start of his senior season in October 2018. He broke his tibia and shattered his ankle.

"It was honestly one of the hardest thing I've ever had to go through in my life so far," O'Neil said. "But I think if I were to go back, I would still want it to happen because of the experiences I learned from it. I learned so much from it like patience and toughness that I didn't really discover until I broke my leg."

He was told he would be out for six months. O’Neil returned in three.

With six surgically inserted screws, he played the final 14 games of the season. O’Neil earned All-SRV first-team honors and guided Fruitland to a runner-up finish at state.

But he still signed a National Letter of Intent at Boise State for golf.

"The reality is, when he got injured, I think that basically made his decision for him," Lake said. "He worked his tail off to get back to play, but he wasn't the same kid. And I think he probably recognized that and, ultimately, I think that made his decision to choose the golf route easier. "

O’Neil never got to play an official hole for the Broncos, though.

He remained on the practice squad during the fall before the rest of the season was canceled last week because of concern for the coronavirus pandemic. However, O’Neil had made up his mind well before the season ended.

The leg was 100% by last summer. So slowly but surely he found himself spending more time on the hardwood floors of recreation centers than on the fairways of golf courses.

A phone call with his former shooting coach, Brian King — Boise State’s all-time 3-point percentage leader at 45.3% — in December was the deciding factor.

He informed Boise State coaches and teammates Thursday.

"They're super cool and they understand that I've always had a passion for basketball. My coach there and my teammates just want me to do what's best for me," O'Neil said. "I've given golf so much of my life already. I am not saying I'm done with it by any means. I'll always play golf and I'll always love it. But I feel like I've done so much with it. So I want to see what basketball has to offer for now."

O’Neil has already narrowed his choice down to two schools. He will announce his decision in the coming weeks.

And with it will come a second chance.

"It would mean everything to me to be playing the sport I love again," O'Neil said. "Stepping onto a court for a game with your teammates is one of the most priceless things in the world. There's no other feeling like it."