UConn's Dan Hurley Just Called This Player 'The Best Freshman We've Brought In'
The UConn Huskies have had some ridiculously talented freshmen in the Dan Hurley era.
No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle immediately comes to mind.
Even Castle pales in comparison to a current freshman playing for the Huskies, however, according to Dan Hurley himself.
CT Insider’s David Borges revealed in a new piece how impressed Hurley is with freshman wing Liam McNeeley.
"He's the best freshman we've brought in, in terms of how good he is right now," Hurley said on Thursday, per Borges.
Borges added some context surrounding the six-foot-eight forward.
“This year's recruiting class bolted up to No. 6 in the nation after Liam McNeeley … committed to the program last spring after decommitting from Indiana,” Borges said.
“McNeeley is viewed as a potential one-and-done lottery pick.”
It should be reiterated that Hurley’s comments about McNeeley apply to right now, meaning that McNeeley looks more advanced than Castle (and every other freshman that Hurley has coached at UConn) as of October.
What’s more important than an October evaluation — however tantalizing — will be McNeeley’s development between now and March, which will determine not only his own stock but UConn’s chances to defend their crown.
Even so, it's notable that word on the street about McNeeley has been overwhelmingly positive. FOX Sports’ John Fanta recently revealed intel suggesting that McNeeley looks like a top-five pick in the draft right now.
McNeeley was solid in UConn’s preseason exhibition versus Rhode Island on Monday, scoring 10 points and snagging four boards.
Hurley remarked after the game that McNeeley was too hyped up.
It sounds like once McNeeley calms down, the rest of the country is in a lot of trouble.
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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