UConn Star Liam McNeeley Earns Big East Freshman Of The Week Honors For Sixth Time
It’s fair to state that the UConn Huskies didn’t play their best basketball last week.
Sure, the Huskies escaped with a hard-fought 66-59 win over Villanova on Feb. 18, but the Wildcats were undoubtedly the better team for the first 30 minutes of the contest.
When Dan Hurley’s squad matched up against St. John’s on Sunday, they fell behind early for the second consecutive game but failed to make an inspiring comeback in the second half.
The Huskies’ below-average half-court defense, putrid three-point shooting, and inexcusable turnovers helped the Red Storm secure a pivotal 89-75 victory.
Still, giving players their flowers is essential when they perform at a high level on the hardwood, which is what the Big East did on Monday.
UConn freshman star Liam McNeeley earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors after finishing with 20 points and seven rebounds against Villanova and 14 points and nine rebounds against St. John’s.
Although McNeeley’s efforts weren’t enough to defeat the Red Storm, there’s no question the Huskies wouldn’t have prevailed in their early-week clash against Villanova without the Richardson, Texas native’s commendable second half performance.
McNeeley, who’s received six Big East Freshman of the Week nods this season, scored 16 of his 20 points in half No. 2 and guided UConn to a much-needed come-from-behind win over the Eric Dixon-led Wildcats.
For UConn to succeed in the postseason, McNeeley must continue to hold his weight on both ends and help the unranked Huskies enter the Big East tournament with advantageous momentum.
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Caleb Hightower is a graduate of Hofstra University and can write about any sport, but he has a particular passion for basketball – specifically college and NBA. He has written for publications such as FanBuzz and Busting Brackets since graduating. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org Twitter: https://x.com/CalebHightower1