McNeeley’s selection makes it three-straight years with a first round pick for Dan Hurley and the Huskies.
Liam McNeeley is the next former Husky to head to the NBA, as the Richardson, Texas native was selected with the No. 29 pick of the first round by the Charlotte Hornets. McNeeley, the 2025 Big East Freshman of the Year, led UConn with 14.5 points per game last season.
Charlotte acquired the 29th overall pick in a draft night trade that sent Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns. As the 29th pick, McNeeley will make roughly $2.7 million in his rookie season and $2.9 million in the 2026-27 season. Charlotte will have an option to pay McNeeley just over $3 million in the third and final year of his contract
McNeeley initially joined the Huskies late in the recruiting cycle, first recommitting from Indiana and then committing to UConn shortly after the Huskies won the 2024 national championship. The 6-foot-7 McNeeley quickly established himself as one of team’s best scorers, reaching double figures in 23 of his 27 games during his one and only collegiate season.
Midway through the season, McNeeley suffered an ankle injury diving for a loose ball against DePaul on Jan. 1 that caused him to miss eight games. Shortly after returning, he made his return known to all of college basketball with a 38-point, 10-rebound double-double to lift UConn to a massive 70-66 win on the road against No. 24 Creighton. With that performance, he joined Steph Curry and Kevin Durant as the only freshmen in the last 20 years with 30-plus points, 10 or more rebounds and five made 3-pointers.
McNeely finished his lone season in Storrs averaging 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Although the freshman was widely regarded as one of the top shooters in the class of 2024, McNeeley shot just 31.7 percent from three on the season, including just 15.4 percent (4-26) from three in his final five games.
With the ankle injury fully behind him, McNeeley’s high basketball IQ, pure shooting stroke and ability to create off the dribble allowed him to be a first round talent. Despite falling slightly lower in the draft than projected, McNeeley should have a chance to carve out a role with the Hornets in his first year in the NBA.