Liam McNeeley will leave UConn after one season to enter the 2025 NBA draft, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward announced Tuesday. The 19-year-old is a potential lottery pick after he was named Big East Freshman of the Year.
Liam McNeeley Has Always Dreamed Of Playing In The NBA
In 27 games, McNeeley averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 32.1 minutes per contest while shooting 38.1% from the field, 31.7% from 3-point range, and 86.6% at the free throw line.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA,” McNeeley told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. I’m so thankful and grateful to have been a part of UConn, to have played for these coaches and alongside these teammates.
“We had so much fun, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. My goal was to win a national championship. That didn’t happen, but I learned so much as a player and person during my time there.”
NEWS: UConn’s Liam McNeeley, the Big East Freshman of the Year and a projected lottery pick, will enter the 2025 NBA draft, he told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/s3zmrchPVE
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 1, 2025
The Texas native was also selected to the third-team All-Big East. He told Givony that playing under UConn head coach Dan Hurley was “the best thing that could have happened to me.”
“He is very intense and forced me to operate outside my comfort zone and get better as a player and person,” McNeeley added. “NBA teams saw that I’m a real competitor. I bring toughness. I can space the floor and shoot, play-make a little. I’m a guy who will have a hard nose and do the dirty work. Someone who will do everything he can to win.”
McNeeley Returned For The NCAA Tournament After Ankle Injury
In UConn’s 70-66 road win over Creighton on Feb. 11, McNeeley recorded a career-high 38 points on 12-of-22 (54.5%) shooting from the floor, 5-of-10 (50%) from deep, and 9-of-10 (90%) at the foul line.
According to College Basketball Reference, McNeeley finished 14th in the Big East in points per game, 12th in rebounds per game, 13th in defensive rebounds (136), second in free throw percentage, seventh in made free throws (110), and eighth in usage percentage (25.6%).
McNeeley missed some time due to a high ankle sprain but returned in time for the NCAA Tournament, where he led the Huskies with 22 points in a second-round loss to Florida.
Of course, McNeeley was ranked as a five-star prospect after making 44% of his shots from beyond the arc during his senior season at Cooper Flagg’s Montverde Academy, but he was unable to match his long-range accuracy at the college level.
