Dan Hurley Discusses UConn's Five-Star Freshman: 'He's Built For This'
Most freshmen playing for the UConn Huskies in the Dan Hurley era need time to acclimate before making a splash.
Hurley’s absurdly high standards in practice can feel overly demanding for new players at first, which -- combined with UConn’s upperclassmen talent in the last few years -- has made it difficult for UConn freshmen to break through and earn an impactful spot in the rotation right away.
There are exceptions, of course, Stephon Castle being one of them.
Hurley and UConn are hoping that freshman wing Liam McNeeley will be another exception akin to Castle. Like Castle, McNeeley comes to Storrs ranked as one of the top recruits in the nation. Castle was ranked No. 9 in the 2023 class by 247Sports; McNeeley was ranked No. 10 in 2024.
Castle and McNeeley are very different players with different strengths, but Hurley will look McNeeley to have an important impact on the 2024-25 Huskies just as Castle did during UConn’s title run last year.
There will be growing pains for McNeeley, particularly defensively. He’s a knockdown three-point shooter and a really good athlete at six-foot-seven with a high IQ and underrated passing instincts that will make him a weapon in UConn’s offense from day one. The degree to which McNeeley can get up to speed on the defensive end and hold his own physically will play a significant role in not only his draft stock but also in the success of the Huskies.
As Hurley addressed the media after Friday’s practice, he talked candidly about UConn needing McNeeley to be as impactful as Castle. Hurley noted that while McNeeley is still working through some things defensively, his pedigree and talent as a player will likely push him forward into a vital role for the Huskies.
“He’s not overwhelmed by any of this,” Hurley said. “He’s built for this.”
McNeeley isn’t likely to be affected by the bright lights of playing for a two-time defending champion. He played at Montverde alongside the consensus No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, meaning he’s used to national media scrutiny.
Many believe that McNeeley could be a one-and-done. It will be fascinating to watch his growth under Hurley in the coming months.
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-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