Story Links
BROOKLYN – UConn men's basketball standout Liam McNeeley was selected in the First Round of the 2025 NBA Draft, going No. 29 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in a reported trade by way of the Phoenix Suns. McNeeley becomes only the third Husky to go 'one-and-done' from his freshman year in Storrs straight to the NBA.
McNeeley was UConn's leading scorer in his lone season at Connecticut in 2024-25, scoring 14.5 points per game along with 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He started all but one of the 27 contests he appeared in and averaged 32.1 minutes per contest. The Richardson, Texas-native was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and was a Third Team All-Conference pick.
The 6-7 wing opened his career at UConn with back-to-back double-doubles, becoming the first rookie to accomplish that feat since 1978 (Corny Thompson). He totaled 18 double-figure scoring games, five 20-point outings and notched four double-doubles.
McNeeley showed a penchant for big-game performances early in his career. On Dec. 4 against No. 15 Baylor, he led the shorthanded Huskies with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots for a marquee early-season win. In his first Madison Square Garden performance on Dec. 14, he dominated No. 8 Gonzaga with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists in UConn's first top-10 win of the campaign.
His finest performance of the season was undoubtedly on Feb. 11 in Omaha. Against No. 24 Creighton in a building the Huskies had never won in, McNeeley went off for a career-high 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead UConn to a 77-71 triumph. It was the highest scoring output for a UConn freshman in its BIG EAST history and the most points for any Husky since 2020.
McNeeley becomes the 24th first round pick in UConn history – all coming since 1990 – and the 52nd NBA Draft selection in program history. He is the ninth NBA draft pick in Dan Hurley's first seven years at the helm of the Huskies, the fifth first round pick and the seventh selection over the last three seasons. UConn is one of three programs (Baylor, Duke) in the nation with a selection in each of the last five NBA Drafts – pending tomorrow's second round.