Five-star recruit Liam McNeeley commits to UConn men's basketball

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men are one step closer to a three-peat.

Liam McNeeley, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024 and one of the best high school recruits still available, committed to the Huskies on Friday evening. The news was first reported by ESPN’s NBA draft insider Jonathan Givony.

“It felt like a perfect fit,” McNeeley told Givony. “Coach (Dan) Hurley is a hard-nosed coach. That’s the kind of coach I thrive under. The offensive system they run is perfect for my game. The culture of the team. The sets they run. They are going to help me get better on both sides of the ball. The whole coaching staff are good people.”

McNeeley, 6-foot-7 wing player from Montverde Academy, where he recently capped off an undefeated season with a national title, is ESPN’s ninth-ranked player in his class. He previously committed to Indiana over Kansas and Texas but reopened his recruitment early last month after the Hoosiers announced head coach Mike Woodson would return for the 2024-25 season.

McNeeley, one of the best high school shooters in the nation, will help fill the void left by Cam Spencer and potentially Alex Karaban, who has left the option open to return after he tests NBA draft waters. The Richardson, Texas, native shares the same phone call celebration as Tristen Newton, whose eligibility has expired.

“My main goal is to win a national championship,” he told ESPN. “UConn is on a roll right now. They’ve gone back-to-back, so there’s no reason we can’t contend for a three-peat.”

McNeeley averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists on the season with Montverde, which finished the year 34-0 and beat fellow UConn commit Isaiah Abraham’s team, Paul VI, to win the high school national championship. He finished the year 68 for 155 on 3-point attempts (43.9%). He was also named MVP of his team in the Jordan Brand Classic last weekend, where he scored 25 points in a losing effort to another future teammate, Ahmad Nowell.

McNeeley is the 13th McDonald's High School All-American to choose UConn and the second under Hurley. Stephon Castle, the first since 2016, was named Big East Freshman of the Year and picked for the NCAA All-Tournament team this year before announcing his decision to enter the NBA draft as a one-and-done.

He is the second addition to UConn’s roster since the Huskies won back-to-back national titles earlier this month, joining Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr., a big man who will team up with Samson Johnson in the frontcourt with the departure of projected lottery pick Donovan Clingan. UConn hosted Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney this week and is set to host Dayton transfer Koby Brea, the best 3-point shooter in the nation last season, this weekend.