Five-star tight end Liam McNeeley, the highest-ranked uncommitted player in the 2024 recruiting class, has committed to Connecticut, he announced Friday on social media.
I am called from Storrs‼️@UConnMBB pic.twitter.com/y7hDGTHpWl
– liammcneeley (@liammcneeley30) April 26, 2024
McNeeley — the No. 18 player in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite — previously decommitted from Indiana in March. With Friday’s announcement, he becomes UConn’s third commit in the 2024 class, joining four-star combo guard Ahmad Nowell (No. 31 overall) and four-star wing Isaiah Abraham (No. 82 overall) .
The back-to-back national champions lose at least four starters from this season’s title team, and possibly all five if redshirt sophomore forward Alex Karaban opts to stay in the NBA draft. McNeeley, however, represents an instant impact piece with which coach Dan Hurley can rebuild his roster.
At 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, McNeeley has the size to fit right into UConn’s starting lineup — and given his reputation as one of America’s best shooters, that may not be the case. not be a bad idea. McNeeley was one of six rotational starters this season for Montverde Academy, which won the national high school championship and went undefeated. This Montverde team, whose six starters are all major commits, has the argument to be the best high school team ever assembled. With McNeeley, Montverde had:
- Forward Cooper Flagg, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, who is committed to Duke;
- Forward Asa Newell, recruit No. 11, committed to Georgia;
- Center Derik Queen, the No. 13 recruit, who committed to Maryland;
- Guard Rob Wright, the No. 28 recruit, who committed to Baylor;
- And guard Curtis Givens, the No. 63 recruit, who committed to LSU.
McNeeley was third on that team in scoring with 12.5 points per game, to go along with his 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Importantly, McNeeley also made a team-high 44 percent of his 155 3-point attempts, cementing his reputation as one of the best long-range shooters in high school hoops.
But McNeeley is more than just a shooter. He has excellent feel for the game and fits well in Montverde’s college-style system, and he should be able to do the same in UConn’s complex offense. He was one of three Montverde players named McDonald’s All-American earlier this spring, and he also participated in the Jordan Brand Classic showcasing America’s top NBA prospects.
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(Photo: John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)