| No. 33 – Charlotte Hornets | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Small forward | |||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
| Born | (2005-10-10)October 10, 2005 (age 20) Richardson, Texas, U.S. | |||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | |||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||
| High school |
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| College | UConn (2024–2025) | |||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2025: 1st round, 29th overall pick | |||||||||||
| Drafted by | Phoenix Suns | |||||||||||
| Playing career | 2025–present | |||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Charlotte Hornets | |||||||||||
| Career highlights | ||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com  | ||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | ||||||||||||
Medals
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Liam Thomas McNeeley (born October 10, 2005) is an American professionalbasketball player for theCharlotte Hornets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theUConn Huskies. He was a consensus five-starrecruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class.
McNeeley grew up inRichardson, Texas and initially attendedJ. J. Pearce High School.[1] He transferred toJohn Paul II High School inPlano, Texas after his freshman year.[2] McNeeley averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks per game as a sophomore.[3] After the season, McNeeley transferred a second time toMontverde Academy inMontverde, Florida.[4] He averaged 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) competition in his first season at Montverde.[5] McNeeley averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game for his senior year.McNeeley was selected to play in the2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[6]
McNeeley was a consensus five-starrecruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services.[7] He committed to playing college basketball forIndiana after considering offers fromKansas andTexas.[8][9] McNeeley signed aNational Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the Indiana Hoosiers on November 8, 2023, during the early signing period.[10] However, he requested a release from his NLI on March 7, 2024, shortly after Indiana announced that they would retain head coachMike Woodson.[11] McNeeley committed toUConn on April 26, 2024.[12]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liam McNeeley SF /PF | Richardson, TX | Montverde Academy (FL) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Apr 26, 2024 | |
Recruit ratings:Rivals:  247Sports: On3: ESPN: (93) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 17 247Sports: 10 On3: 15 ESPN: 9 | ||||||
Sources:
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McNeeley enrolled at theUniversity of Connecticut in June 2024 in order to take part in theHuskies' summer practices.[13] He made his college basketball debut on November 6, posting adouble-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a win overSacred Heart.[14] Three days later, McNeeley recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds againstNew Hampshire, becoming the first freshman to log back-to-back double-doubles sinceCorny Thompson in 1978.[15] On November 17, McNeeley earnedBig East Freshman of the Week honors for his 15-point performance in a 90–49 victory overLe Moyne.[16][17] After leading the Huskies to a 2–0 week, he was named Big East Freshman of the Week again on December 9, sharing the honor with teammateAlex Karaban.[18] On December 14, McNeeley delivered a dominant performance against No. 8Gonzaga atMadison Square Garden, scoring 26 points along with eight rebounds and four assists. Following this performance, he earned another Big East Freshman of the Week honor.[19] For the third consecutive week and fourth time overall, McNeeley was named Big East Freshman of the Week on December 23 after helping the team to another 2–0 week.[20][21] On February 11, 2025, McNeely scored a game-high 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win overCreighton, recording the most points by a UConn freshman in conference history.[22][23] On February 17, he was again named Big East Freshman of the Week after averaging team-highs of 24.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.[24] On February 24, McNeeley earned his sixth Big East Freshman of the Week honor after leading the team to a comeback win overVillanova with 20 points and 7 rebounds.[25] After averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 assists, and three rebounds in a 2–0 week, McNeeley was named Big East Freshman of the Week again on March 3, marking his seventh time receiving the award.[26] On March 11, the conference named McNeeley as the Big East Freshman of the Year.[27]
McNeeley concluded his college career having earned Third Team All-Big East and Big East All-Freshman Team honors.[28][29] On April 1, he declared for the2025 NBA draft, foregoing his remaining college eligibility.[30]
McNeely was selected with the 29th pick by thePhoenix Suns in the2025 NBA draft. However, on June 30, 2025, he would have his draft rights traded to theCharlotte Hornets, along withVasilije Micić and a 2029 first-round pick in exchange for centerMark Williams and a 2029 second-round pick.[31]
McNeeley played for theUnited States national under-16 team at the2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship.[32] He averaged 5.7 points and five rebounds per game as the United States won the gold medal.[33]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | UConn | 27 | 26 | 32.1 | .381 | .317 | .866 | 6.0 | 2.3 | .6 | .2 | 14.5 |
NBA
McNeeley's great-grandfather (Gordan Elsey), grandfather (Chuck Elsey), mother (Ashley Elsey), and two of his uncles (Chad Elsey and Josh Ihde) played college basketball.[34]
· Basketball Reference 