Will UConn Five-Star Freshman Become Third One-And-Done In Program History?
Surprisingly, the UConn Huskies with their six national championships have only produced two one-and-done freshmen in school history.
In a program that has housed as much talent as anyone in college basketball, it’s almost unbelievable that Stephon Castle (2024 NBA Draft, No. 4 overall) and Andre Drummond (2012, No. 9 overall) are the only two players in Huskies history to transition directly from their freshmen seasons at UConn to the NBA lottery.
That being said, Dan Hurley might have another one-and-done player on his roster right now in Liam McNeeley.
McNeeley is currently forecasted as a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, although it should be acknowledged that so much can change between now and the draft, especially as McNeeley still hasn’t played a possession of college basketball yet.
Still, McNeeley’s combination of size, athleticism, and skill is undoubtedly on the radar of every NBA scout already, thanks to McNeeley showcasing his abilities over the last two years at Montverde Academy alongside consensus No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
At 6-foot-7 (and possibly still growing), McNeeley carves the figure of an NBA wing and already looks like an elite three-point shooter. He’s also displayed a high-level basketball IQ, advanced court vision, and sneaky bounce already in his young career.
It will be fascinating to see how McNeeley’s game translates to the Big East, but he’s already proven he belongs among the nation’s best players in his age bracket.
McNeeley will probably grow leaps and bounds as a player during his year under Dan Hurley, making him an even more enticing NBA prospect than if he had played virtually anywhere else.
Hurley understands the NBA game. He just launched two of his guys into the top 10 of the 2024 NBA Draft (Castle and Donovan Clingan) and was shortly thereafter courted by the Los Angeles Lakers to become their next head coach.
It follows that there will be a ton of Hurley players getting drafted in the first round of the draft in the coming years. McNeeley could be next, and he might not be alone in that regard from the 2024-25 Huskies, especially if they happen to three-peat.
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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