Jay Bilas Reveals Intriguing Thoughts on UConn Star Liam McNeeley
Former UConn Huskies star forward Liam McNeeley has been garnering lots of praise in the days leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft. The latest has come from long-time ESPN college basketball broadcaster and analyst Jay Bilas, who shared his admration for McNeeley's game recently to the Hartford Courant.
“McNeeley is a very good shooter, I think he’s a tough kid and a competitive one. But the fact that he can shoot it so well is what I find the most attractive about him,” Bilas told The Courant on a media call. “He went to Montverde (Academy) and there a number of Montverde players that are in this draft – it’s really kind of interesting that so many players from one prep school are in the same draft.
"But he’s got a great feel for the game, he tends to make the right play more often than not and he’s a floor-spacer at about 6-foot-7, he can put it on the deck a little bit.”
6’7 UConn Freshman Liam McNeeley vs Creighton Last night..
— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) February 12, 2025
38 PTS (12-22 FG, 5-10 3PT, 9-10 FTs)
10 REBS
How we feeling about bros game??? pic.twitter.com/vWCr0cRAEi
McNeeley's sweet-shooting ability and untapped potential has made him a consensus lottery pick. In his lone season with the Huskies, McNeeley connected on 31.7% on 5.4 3-point attempts per game, which, along with his competitive fire, Bilas thinks will make an immediate impact at the next level.
“He had some really big games last year,” Bilas said. “But the fact that he’s competitive, he’s not afraid to throw his body around. I think he could be an even better 3-point shooter than he was this last year. In some really big games, he stepped forward. And he’s only 19 years old, so he’s got a lot of growth ahead of him."
Drawing comparisons to Sacramento's Keegan Murray and Washington's Corey Kispert, McNeeley has the tools to thrive in the NBA. If Bilas is correct on his analysis, his shooting will make an immediate impact, regardless of the team who takes him.
Evan Dammarell is a credentialed, award-winning sports journalist who has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA for nearly a decade right off the shores of Lake Erie. His work has appeared on Forbes, ClutchPoints, SBNation, FanSided, Heavy, The Locked On Podcast Network, and Right Down Euclid, among others. Evan is committed to his vision to go beyond the scores and so much more so that every fan can always keep up with what’s going on with their favorite teams on and off the court.