RALEIGH, N.C. – It was all smiles as Liam McNeeley moved back and forth from the wing to the corner, catching passes from Alex Karaban and putting up 3-pointers one after another during the UConn’s open practice session at the Lenovo Center Thursday.
“Freshman of the Year!” Karaban yelled as McNeeley faded away into the corner, holding his release as the ball swished through the net.
Karaban has been on this stage before. Now the captain was doing his part in keeping things loose for his teammates who haven’t.
McNeeley has been asked to play and act like a sophomore, a junior at times, throughout this season. He looked like a freshman on Thursday as he sat at his locker marveling in the March Madness experience.
“It’s a blessing,” said the 19-year-old native of Richardson, Texas. “I’ve always watched Selection Sunday and knowing they were about to call the team I’m on was pretty surreal. It was actually pretty stressful because I know a lot of people in this tournament too, and seeing where they’re going, who they’re going to match up with, it was exciting.”
UConn arrived in Raleigh for its first round game against No. 9 seed Oklahoma on Wednesday night, so the experience was just beginning. Two of McNeeley’s Montverde Academy teammates – Robert Wright III at Baylor and Cooper Flagg at Duke – also arrived in Raleigh and could match up in the second round of the East Regional. McNeeley could draw a matchup with his former center, Derik Queen, if the Huskies end up meeting Maryland in the Sweet 16. Asa Newell, another former Eagle, was sent to the Midwest Region with Georgia.
“I’m just so happy to see everybody doing so well right now,” said McNeeley, who was refreshed like he’d put his unceremonious end to the regular season and the Big East Tournament behind him.
He shot just 15-for-52 from the field over UConn’s last four games, including a 6-for-20 performance in the Big East semifinal loss to Creighton, who he scored 38 points against earlier in the year.
“I think my confidence is at an all-time high, and I would expect the same for the rest of the guys. A lot of excitement going on,” he said.
Next man up
It’ll be the first tournament for McNeeley, Tarris Reed Jr., Ahmad Nowell and Isaiah Abraham. For a handful of others, like sophomores Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross, it’ll be their first time being counted on to contribute in important roles under the brightest lights.
“I’m never not confident in myself,” said Stewart, who’s been part of the rise in bench production of late.
“I’m just super excited literally to just go into the game and have an opportunity to play and show what I can do. But, more than anything, just to get a run going and be able to make some noise,” said Ball, who was only used in garbage time during last year’s title run and now enters the tournament as UConn’s leading scorer.
Quick hits
Chris Jans, the last coach to beat UConn in the NCAA Tournament when he was coaching New Mexico State in 2022, is in Raleigh coaching Mississippi State against Baylor in the East’s 8-9 game. There was a chance that the selection committee could pit him against the Huskies again. … Former Fairfield guard Brycen Goodine transferred to Oklahoma for his sixth season and will play a factor in Friday’s game. … The Huskies have been teasing Reed, the Michigan transfer, for this being his first tournament appearance in three years. “I told the guys it’s pretty cool to be here, and then I’m surrounded by guys like AK, Hassan (Diarra) and Sammy (Johnson) that literally won it twice, back-to-back,” he said.
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