10. San Antonio Spurs
Liam McNeeley | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Connecticut
McNeeley is entering the perfect situation at Connecticut. The Huskies have won back-to-back national championships and proven they know how to use players with the skill set McNeeley possesses. He’s an elite shooter for a teenager, and the third player from last season’s Montverde team to be projected here in the top 10. McNeeley can hit shots off movement, but more than that, he has a terrific feel for the game. He’s not the most athletic player in the world, but he’s big and makes the right decisions every time he gets the ball or is on the defensive end of the court.
UConn is quite deep on the wing this year, but I would expect McNeeley to end up playing significant minutes as the Huskies go for a three-peat.
Alex Karaban | 6-8 wing | 22 years old | Connecticut
Karaban is the other player who had a first-round grade on my personal board last season but returned to school. I had him in the late 20s, and it’s easy to see what his role will be in the NBA. He’s a terrific shooter, having made 39 percent of his 3s over his two years at Connecticut. But more importantly, he’s a consummate winner. He does all of the little things you can ask a player to do on the court. He’s a terrific team defender who is cutting off angles and passes on the weak side. He cuts well off the ball on offense. He is in motion within that Connecticut offense. On top of that, his experience is tremendous, as he started 77 of his 78 games for the back-to-back national champions. It’s easy to say, but he looks like a guy who will slot into an NBA rotation for a while. UConn will be counting on him to be more than that this year, as he’ll step into the spotlight following the departure of most of his teammates. Any growth that he could show with the ball in his hands would be a real positive for him with scouts.
