McNeeley makes a good first impression in UConn’s season-opening win

Nov. 7—STORRS — The night before his much-anticipated UConn debut, freshman Liam McNeeley showed up at Gampel Pavilion after practice to shoot some jumpers.

McNeeley just returned to team workouts last weekend after missing time with a calf injury.

A McDonald’s All-American from Richardson, Texas, McNeeley made a strong first impression in No. 3 UConn’s season-opening 92-56 win over Sacred Heart at Gampel Pavilion.

“I’m super grateful and I feel very blessed to be here and have the opportunity to have my college debut at UConn,” McNeeley said. “I wasn’t really nervous. I was just really happy to get to play again because I’ve been sidelined with the injury and had some time off.

“Basketball is my joy, so when I got to play again, I was just so happy. Basketball is what gives me life.”

McNeeley, a 6-foot-7 forward, showed off his smooth jump shot, finishing with 18 points on 6 of 11 shooting and added 10 rebounds. He joined transfer Aidan Mahaney, Solo Ball, Samson Johnson and Alex Karaban in the starting lineup.

Coach Dan Hurley has raved about McNeeley’s potential to be a future NBA lottery pick. Big East coaches recognized McNeeley’s talent by selecting him as the league’s preseason freshman of the year.

Wednesday’s impressive performance was just a start for McNeeley.

“He had three days of practice after missing two and a half weeks,” Hurley said. “Obviously, you could see the strong performance. … That’s just the tip of the iceberg with him. This guy is going to be so good this year.”

McNeeley also had his share of freshman moments against the Pioneers, and he will continue to in the upcoming games while adjusting to playing Division I college basketball.

Redshirt junior Alex Karaban, on the other hand, is about as reliable as the sunrise. The only returning starter from a team that won its second straight national championship in April, Karaban picked up where he left off last season.

Karaban finished with a team-high 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists. He did his…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mcneeley-makes-good-first-impression-013500200.html

Author : The Day, New London, Conn.

Publish date : 2024-11-08 01:35:00

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