The 2025 NBA Draft is a little more than two weeks away, and NBA teams are making their final evaluations before June 25’s event.
After the NBA Combine, private workouts and other pre-draft events, most organizations have solid data on their potential targets. As front offices continue to receive information and become more familiar with prospects, Connecticut wing Liam McNeeley could rise up draft boards.
The former 5-star recruit had a decent freshman year at Connecticut, but McNeeley could become an even better NBA player.
In his lone season with the Huskies, the Dallas-area product averaged 14.5 points, six rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 38.1% from the field and 31.7% from beyond the arc. McNeeley started 26 games for the defending national champions, playing more than 30 minutes per contest.
While McNeeley’s efficiency certainly needs to improve for him to be a credible role player in the NBA, his size, basketball IQ and defensive upside make him an intriguing target in the first round.
McNeeley measured at 6-foot-6 and three quarters of an inch without shoes at the combine, weighing 214 pounds and recording a 6-foot-8 and a half inch wingspan. The 2024 McDonald’s All-American also ran the three-quarter sprint in 3.16 seconds and posted at 30.5-inch standing vertical.
With good athleticism and positional size, McNeeley could be a plus perimeter defender at the next level if he continues to develop his game on that end of the floor.
Offensively, McNeeley turned in decent production as a freshman, showcasing multiple skills that help give him a well-rounded game. The former Montverde Academy standout is a strong rebounder for his position and a solid decision maker.
McNeeley was able to knock down perimeter shots in high school, and while he didn’t find the bottom of the net as much in college, the former Huskies’ standout wasn’t afraid to let it fly. The 19-year-old avergaed 5.4 3-point attempts per game as a freshman, more than veteran prospects like Nique Clifford, Cedric Coward and Rasheer Fleming.
While McNeeley may not have the same percentage from deep as the aforementioned prospects, the likely top-20 selection has shown the potential to be a good perimeter shooter. This season at Connecticut, McNeeley shot 86.6% from the free throw line.
While his numbers from the charity stripe can’t guarantee that McNeeley will develop into a reliable 3-point shooter, it does indicate that the talented prospect has enough touch to become a solid shooter with good coaching.
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