UConn Huskies Star Given Intriguing NBA Comparison
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Liam McNeeley still has work to do in a UConn Huskies uniform, but it's hard to see him not taking his talents to the next level and committing to the NBA draft once March Madness is over.
It's always hard to tell exactly how a player's talents and skills will translate to the next level, but comparing them to current NBA players can shed a little light on what to expect.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman recently released his latest mock draft and attached a pro-comparison to each prospect picked.
Wasserman is predicting McNeeley to go to the Atlanta Hawks at pick 14 and compared the Big East Freshman of the Year to current Sacramento Kings big man Keegan Murray.
"Scouts have a clear picture for how they think Liam McNeeley's shooting and secondary ball-handling will fit at the next level," wrote Wasserman.
"The athletic and defensive limitations make it difficult to envision star-caliber upside, and he'll need to grow his pull-up game to pose more of a threat offensively. But he should earn the plug-and-play label with a strong catch-and-shoot game, a comfort level capitalizing off the ball and good feel making reads and drives in ball-screen situations."
After reading what Wasserman has to say about McNeeley, it's easy to see the similarties to the Sacramento Kings forward.
Both players can play either forward position, thrive with driving to the basket and scoring in the paint, and have promising outside shots.
They're also above-average defenders at their current respected levels, which is also an underrated part of McNeeley's game.
Whether it's the Hawks or another team in the middle of the first round who end up with McNeeley, they'd be getting a versatile, high-upside forward who can contribute on both sides of the floor, just like Murray.
But again, McNeeley's draft conversation and comparison can continue after the Big East and NCAA Tournaments wrap up.
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Tommy Wild has been primarily contributing across the Browns, Guardians and Cavaliers sites in the On SI network since 2022. Born, raised, and having graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Tommy knows firsthand how passionate the fan base is and he does his best to replicate that in his writing.