Where Does Liam McNeeley Rank Among UConn's Top Performers This Season?
Ranking the top performers for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team so far this season...
1. Liam McNeeley
Dan Hurley recently called Liam McNeeley UConn’s second-best player, but Hurley may want to revise that comment in the coming weeks.
To be clear, it doesn’t matter who’s better between McNeeley and Alex Karaban — UConn has both guys.
But it’s been McNeeley’s emergence as a dangerous pick-and-roll ball handler that has separated him as the Huskies’ best player and undeniable No. 1 option on offense.
McNeeley hits the glass, too. He’s second on the team in rebounding at 5.8 boards per game, and he’s second on the team in scoring behind Karaban at 13.9 points per game. That latter figure should rise, just as McNeeley’s 37.7 percent from three could approach 40 as the season progresses.
McNeeley’s combination of size, strength, athleticism, and feel for the game makes him unstoppable as a guard/wing hybrid in Hurley’s offense. In a ball screen situation, you absolutely can’t go under the screen guarding McNeeley, and when you fight through the pick, McNeeley uses the characteristics listed above to get you on his hip and either score at the rim or get to the free throw line (where he’s shooting a team-high 84.7 percent among UConn's rotational players).
McNeeley’s also a gifted passer, giving him another option whenever he’s doubled coming off of screens, which will happen in increasing amounts between now and March.
A projected lottery pick in the 2025 draft, McNeeley still has a ton of room to grow defensively, and as he continues to improve on both ends under Hurley, who knows what kind of monster he’s going to look like in three months.
McNeeley has been the Huskies' best player this year, but where do the rest of UConn's players rank? Find out below.
More NCAA: Ranking The Top-10 UConn Huskies Men's Basketball Players So Far This Season
-6cddf44b9a81eadb9d1a4c19c1b3db49.jpeg "Colin Keane")
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