UConn Huskies Star Falls Out Of Lottery In Latest NBA Mock Draft
The UConn Huskies season is officially over, and so could the collegiate career of Liam McNeeley.
While the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year hasn't officially declared for the NBA Draft yet, it feels like it's just a matter of time before that announcement is made.
The 2025 draft class is pretty deep, including McNeeley, who can be a solid player at the next level.
Bleacher Reports' Jonathan Wasserman released his pre-NCAA Sweet 16 mock draft and predicted McNeeley would be selected by the Orlando Magic at pick No. 15.
This projection is fairly consistent with where McNeeley has been mocked in previous renditions. In his previous mock draft, Wasserman projected the Huskies star to be selected at pick No. 14.
However, this recent prediction does have McNeeley falling out of the draft lottery picks.
McNeeley didn't have a stellar two games in March Madness, but Wasserman wrote "Regardless of his NCAA tournament performance, NBA teams have a clear picture of what Liam McNeeley offers, and what he doesn't."
With this in mind, Orlando could be the perfect landing spot for McNeeley to start his career.
The Magic needs more outside shooting, and Wasserman noted McNeeley's "spot-up shooting, off-screen scoring and transition finishing should translate first and get the most use."
The NBA draft analyst also noted some downsides to McNeeley's draft profile.
"The athletic and defensive limitations just make it difficult to envision star-caliber upside, and he'll need to grow his pull-up game to pose more of a threat offensively," wrote Wasserman.
McNeeley may not be an NBA All-Star, but he certainly has the potential to be a solid pick in the middle of the draft and get rotation minutes for a team such as the Magic next season.
More UConn Huskies Coverage
MORE: UConn SID Apologized To Reporter Over Viral Dan Hurley Video Confrontation
MORE: Azzi Fudd Announces Return to UConn
MORE: Dan Hurley Reacts To UConn Huskies Season-Ending Loss
MORE: UConn Huskies Season Ends With Heartbreaking Loss To Florida
MORE: UConn Huskies Dismantle Arkansas State In Round One of March Madness
Tommy Wild has been primarily contributing across the Browns, Guardians and Cavaliers sites in the On SI network since 2022. Born, raised, and having graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Tommy knows firsthand how passionate the fan base is and he does his best to replicate that in his writing.