2024 Recruiting: Liam McNeeley

[Matrim55]

He’s a 2/3 wing who shoots, rebounds, does a little of everything well but is primarily a scorer.

He’s got good size but he’s not a banger or finisher, he’s a perimeter player/scorer. He’ll instantly shoot and fit in the offense, imo.

Took me a while to get there, but it just dawned on me: Daniel Hamilton.

 

[Mr. French]

Took me a while to get there, but it just dawned on me: Daniel Hamilton.

I haven’t watched him enough to say definitively, is he a better outside shooter consistently?

I think his overall game is very Hamilton-esque, good call. So if his 3 ball is a step up, that’s why he’s top 10.

 

[superjohn]

Klay Thompson, obviously not saying he'll be a Hall of Famer but that's who he plays like.

 

[Fatroony5]

Klay Thompson, obviously not saying he'll be a Hall of Famer but that's who he plays like.

If he commits, he’s Klay Thompson but a better shooter & even more 2 way upside than Thompson had.

 

[bendm]

Took me a while to get there, but it just dawned on me: Daniel Hamilton.

But D Ham was a point forward. Great ball handling and passing. If Liam can do some of that im comfortable with him starting alongside Stew and AK

 

[UConnRock]

Not sure how you fit Mcneeley, Stewart, and Karaban all into the same starting lineup

Good problem to have. In certain situations a PG (Diarra/Nowell) with McNeeley at 2, Stewart at 3, Karaban at 4 and the C would create some serious matchup problems. Not having the 6'6 Castle as a defensive stopper is the big ?.

I don't think anybody on this team inherits a starting role. I also don't think anybody on the 2024-25 roster is expecting to play 32-35 minutes like Newton and Spencer did. I think early season OOC games will be lots of 15-25 minutes runs for 10+ players and the rotations will take shape.

 

[imno1]

McNeele

There it is. The Matrim smile.

but it’s a step down from the @Matrim55 wink. I’ll wait for that emoji before celebrating

 

[superjohn]

Good problem to have. In certain situations a PG (Diarra/Nowell) with McNeeley at 2, Stewart at 3, Karaban at 4 and the C would create some serious matchup problems. Not having the 6'6 Castle as a defensive stopper is the big ?.

I don't think anybody on this team inherits a starting role. I also don't think anybody on the 2024-25 roster is expecting to play 32-35 minutes like Newton and Spencer did. I think early season OOC games will be lots of 15-25 minutes runs for 10+ players and the rotations will take shape.

You don't think Alex Karaban inherits a starting role?

 

[bendm]

Not having the 6'6 Castle as a defensive stopper is the big ?.

Diarra guards the other teams best offensive perimeter player. Otherwise all the starters are 6’8 or taller.

 

[GlastonTim]

Question for people in the know - viewing practices is a big part of the recruiting process for us, How would it work with these transfers we're after and with McNeeley? Presumably there won't be any practices to view for quite a while.

Perhaps i'm missing something

I read somewhere that Cam would watch tapes of practice. Could he view tapes to get a feel? He could also talk to Cooper, he’s seen them practice.

 

[Karmacop]

McNeele

but it’s a step down from the @Matrim55 wink. I’ll wait for that emoji before celebrating

I'm not sure the wink will ever be deployed in this NIL era. Matrim got (so unfairly) criticized after Timberlake flipped to Kansas at the last moment, and I thought Matrim indicated that "the wink" was going to be mothballed.

 

[UConnRock]

You don't think Alex Karaban inherits a starting role?

If you asked Hurley he would probably say "no'. But the statement refers more to the assumption of Stewart and McNeeley in a starting lineup.

 

[GlastonTim]

I don't think anybody on this team inherits a starting role. I also don't think anybody on the 2024-25 roster is expecting to play 32-35 minutes like Newton and Spencer did. I think early season OOC games will be lots of 15-25 minutes runs for 10+ players and the rotations will take shape.

Karaban is locked in as a starter. He’s started for 2 championships. He’s locked.

 

[UConnRock]

I'm not sure the wink will ever be deployed in this NIL era. Matrim got (so unfairly) criticized after Timberlake flipped to Kansas at the last moment, and I thought Matrim indicated that "the wink" was going to be mothballed.

Calipari and maybe Self will be throwing so much NIL money around. There will be some surprises. McNeeley is a clone of Grady Dick and Johnny Furphy so Kansas will be heavily in the mix.

 

[husky429]

Took me a while to get there, but it just dawned on me: Daniel Hamilton.

They don't play similarly at all outside of having a similar size.

McNeeley is a low-usage, high-effeciency wing. Much better shooter than Hamilton. Hamilton was a point-forward who needed the ball in his hands and was a constant triple-double threat.

He's closer to Hawkins than Hamilton in usage, but not quite so one-dimensional.

 

[Matrim55]

I'm not sure the wink will ever be deployed in this NIL era. Matrim got (so unfairly) criticized after Timberlake flipped to Kansas at the last moment, and I thought Matrim indicated that "the wink" was going to be mothballed.

You'll never get a wink out of me again. Even for McNeeley.

 

[HailUConn]

You don't think Alex Karaban inherits a starting role?

No, how can you say inherit if he started since day 1 and he is still here.

 

[CTBasketball]

I'm not sure the wink will ever be deployed in this NIL era. Matrim got (so unfairly) criticized after Timberlake flipped to Kansas at the last moment, and I thought Matrim indicated that "the wink" was going to be mothballed.

Timberlake getting an over the pants handy from Bill Self and Artero Morris was the best thing ever to happen to this program.

Cam came along and fit in nicely.

 

[Fatroony5]

They don't play similarly at all outside of having a similar size.

McNeeley is a low-usage, high-effeciency wing. Much better shooter than Hamilton. Hamilton was a point-forward who needed the ball in his hands and was a constant triple-double threat.

He's closer to Hawkins than Hamilton in usage, but not quite so one-dimensional.

Haven’t watched enough of McNeeley, would you say he projects a bit like Cade Tyson from Belmont but a higher level recruit? He’s a guy I wanted to see UConn get involved with from the portal. Seems to sort of fit that mold of longer wing, whose super efficient & not a high usage type of player. Still shocked how Tyson wasn’t recruited out of high school given his pedigree.

 

[husky429]

Haven’t watched enough of McNeeley, would you say he projects a bit like Cade Tyson from Belmont but a higher level recruit? He’s a guy I wanted to see UConn get involved with from the portal. Seems to sort of fit that mold of longer wing, whose super efficient & not a high usage type of player. Still shocked how Tyson wasn’t recruited out of high school given his pedigree.

I haven't seen him play. I'll post my stuff on McNeeley later...I've watched 2 games, gonna try to get 4-5 in while my wife is away and I can breathe without being told to fix something.

 

[Fatroony5]

I haven't seen him play.

He’s a good watch, big wing. Brother plays in the NBA and was former Mr basketball of North Carolina and for whatever reason didn’t get recruited to a high major. Sounds like he maybe UNC or Duke bound. Need to dig into McNeeley more, if he fits into that high efficiency, not crazy usage mold.

 

[AntG168]

Not sure how you fit Mcneeley, Stewart, and Karaban all into the same starting lineup

I don’t see why he couldn’t play the 2. Also, they don’t all have to be in the starting lineup.

I mentioned in another thread that it’s unlikely we have a starting 5 as good as last years. So our strength is going to built into our depth. More like 2023 than 2024

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Hope we get a visit. Apparently Arkansas and Alabama are pretty solidly in the mix.

 

[FlexOnEm]

Not sure how you fit Mcneeley, Stewart, and Karaban all into the same starting lineup

Agreed. Need another pure guard in there. Reminds me of 2022 when we had Martin, Jackson, and Whaley in the starting lineup. That was pretty much 2 SFs and a PF. Last season we had two pure guards in Newton and Hawkins. This season we had 3 pure guards in the Newton, Spencer, and Castle. I have a very hard time believing Stewart comes off the bench next year but Diarra, Ball, and McNeeley at the 1/2/3 is very well rounded.

 

[UConnSwag11]

If you asked Hurley he would probably say "no'. But the statement refers more to the assumption of Stewart and McNeeley in a starting lineup.

Hurley would say yes