The qualities of Liam McNeeley that UConn fans came to love, namely his competitive fire and big-game potential, are the same qualities highlighting his profile for next week’s NBA Draft.
McNeeley was invited to sit with his family in the green room at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the first round will take place on June 25. He will likely be UConn’s fourth first-round pick in the last three years.
“McNeeley is a very good shooter, I think he’s a tough kid and a competitive one. But the fact that he can shoot it so well is what I find the most attractive about him,” longtime ESPN college basketball broadcaster and analyst Jay Bilas told The Courant on a media call Wednesday. “He went to Montverde (Academy) and there a number of Montverde players that are in this draft – it’s really kind of interesting that so many players from one prep school are in the same draft. But he’s got a great feel for the game, he tends to make the right play more often than not and he’s a floor-spacer at about 6-foot-7, he can put it on the deck a little bit.”
There are four players from Montverde’s starting five in 2023-24 – one of the best high school teams of all time – projected to hear their name called in the first round. Of course, Cooper Flagg is the consensus No. 1 overall pick, but former Maryland center Derik Queen and former Georgia forward Asa Newell are also highly-rated prospects.
2025 NBA Draft: Latest projections for UConn one-and-done forward Liam McNeeley
Coming out of Montverde, McNeeley was touted as one of the best shooters in his high school class. He didn’t have the same efficiency last season at UConn, where he was counted on to play a significant role for a freshman and shot just 31.7% on 5.4 3-point attempts per game.
McNeeley’s best performance for the Huskies came at Creighton, where he scored a UConn freshman-record 38 points and shot 5-for-10 from deep to lead the program to its first-ever win in Omaha.
“He had some really big games last year,” Bilas said. “But the fact that he’s competitive, he’s not afraid to throw his body around. I think he could be an even better 3-point shooter than he was this last year. In some really big games, he stepped forward. And he’s only 19 years old, so he’s got a lot of growth ahead of him.
“I see him certainly as a first round pick, probably around 20 is my guess.”
Most of the latest mock drafts have McNeeley going anywhere from pick No. 15 to No. 19. ESPN updated its projection on Tuesday, with draft expert Jonathan Givony mocking the Richardson, Texas native as the 20th overall pick of the Miami Heat.
“McNeeley’s size, shot-making prowess, feel for the game and toughness are critical attributes that NBA teams value at the wing position,” Givony wrote in his analysis. “He will likely be asked to play a different role in the NBA, leaning more heavily into his ability as a dynamic perimeter shooter, which was more evident in other settings before college. McNeeley has some momentum behind him now, following some positive workouts, helping to remind teams of what made him so highly regarded entering the season.”
