UConn Freshman Wing Becomes First Husky Since 2001 To Accomplish This Feat
UConn Huskies freshman wing Liam McNeeley delivered an outstanding opening night performance on Wednesday versus Sacred Heart.
McNeeley has a ton of hype surrounding him headed into the season, but he doesn’t appear to be bothered by the noise.
McNeeley came out firing from three in his first game as a Husky, dropping 18 points and 10 rebounds on 3-for-6 from downtown. Dan Hurley wasn’t kidding when he described McNeeley as a “total killer” this week.
We’re just one game into the season, but the way-too-early assessment of UConn is that McNeeley and Alex Karaban are the Huskies’ two best players, with Solo Ball right there. Jayden Ross could be in the conversation when he returns.
UConn’s identity in 2024-25 might center around having a double-headed dragon on the wing in McNeeley and Karaban, each of whom could be headed for the first round of the 2025 NBA draft if things continue looking anywhere close to Wednesday.
UConn’s schedule is obviously going to be way tougher starting in a couple of weeks, but there’s also the team’s improvement to consider. Hurley teams get better as the season progresses. Whatever McNeeley is now, he will probably be an even better version of in December.
McNeeley’s double-double debut made him the first UConn freshman to start his career with a double-double since Emeka Okafor did so in 2001.
Okafor won a national championship at UConn in 2004 under Jim Calhoun and followed that up by winning NBA Rookie of the Year with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2005.
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Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org