McNeeley becomes UConn’s fifth No. 1 pick in last three years, will begin NBA career with Hornets

Liam McNeeley caps off lone season at UConn with first-round NBA selection. Drafted by Phoenix Suns, McNeeley was traded to Charlotte Hornets after being taken 29th overall. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

NEW YORK — Liam McNeeley began Wednesday night as a potential lottery pick. He ended it as perhaps one of the bigger steals in one of the more surprising NBA Draft opening rounds of recent years.

McNeeley, the reigning Big East Freshman of the Year who was projected as high a pick as the low teens in some mock drafts, was selected as the second-to-last player in the first round. Drafted 29th overall by the Phoenix Suns, the former UConn wing will be heading to the Charlotte Hornets as a result of a draft-day trade in which the Suns acquired former Duke center Mark Williams. But regardless of where and when he heard his name called, McNeeley is simply appreciative of an opportunity only a select few receive.

“You know, this is a dream come true,” he said in an interview with ESPN following his selection. “Regardless of what number pick, I was drafted in the NBA. I don’t have any words. I’m trying not to cry right now.”

McNeeley, who joins Andre Drummond and Stephon Castle as the only one-and-done players in UConn history, is the Huskies’ fifth No. 1 pick in the past three years and ninth draftee coached by Dan Hurley. In his lone season at UConn, the Texan averaged 14.5 points and six rebounds per game, despite missing eight games in January and February due to a high ankle sprain.

In his second game back from the injury, McNeeley led the Huskies with 38 points in a win at Creighton, UConn’s first in Omaha under Hurley. His 22 points in a season-ending loss to eventual national champion Florida in the NCAA Tournament only underscored his willingness to raise his game under pressure.

“He’s got so much pressure on him as a freshman in this program,” Hurley said after McNeeley scored a then-career-high 26 points in UConn’s December 14 win over Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden. “His performance should shoot him to the top of any of these lists I see of the best freshmen in the country. He’s doing it at both ends. He’s doing it on the backboard, he’s not volume scoring.”

“It means everything just for him to have that confidence, have that swagger,” teammate Alex Karaban said following the Gonzaga game. “To do it as a freshman, too, it’s unbelievable. He’s just continuing to prove himself. That’s who he is as a player, and his hard work’s truly paying off.”

McNeeley is the Hornets’ second No. 1 pick, after Charlotte selected Duke wing Kon Knueppel at No. 4 overall. Both shore up a need for shooters in head coach Charles Lee’s five-out offense, with the UConn product eager to show his potential.

“I really want to win every time I step out on that court,” McNeeley reiterated. “It takes a village. When you’re part of a village, it’s something special and you’ll do anything for them. Just like my team at Montverde, just like my team at UConn, and just like the Charlotte Hornets, I’m doing whatever it takes to get a win and be successful.”

Ace Bailey adds to historic night for Rutgers with selection by Utah Jazz in NBA Draft

Ace Bailey added to historic night for Rutgers, as forward was selected fifth overall by Utah Jazz in NBA Draft. Bailey joins teammate Dylan Harper as Scarlet Knights’ first Top 5 draft picks. (Photo by Rutgers Athletics)

NEW YORK — Ace Bailey drew comparisons to Kevin Durant and Tracy McGrady in his brief time at Rutgers for being an explosive, high-scoring wing. McGrady got to see Bailey work firsthand in February, when he was at Jersey Mike’s Arena to watch the Scarlet Knights take on USC.

Bailey now gets his chance to prove himself at the highest level, as the 6-foot-10 forward was selected fifth overall by the Utah Jazz in Wednesday’s NBA Draft. The Tennessee native joins Dylan Harper, drafted second overall by the San Antonio Spurs, as the first Top 5 draft picks in Rutgers history.

“Ace is a great kid,” Harper said of his teammate at NBA Draft media day Tuesday. “Whatever team (that) takes him is going to be very happy, very lucky. For both of us, this is a dream come true.”

Bailey, who averaged over 17 points and seven rebounds per game for Rutgers this season, came under fire in the pre-draft process for not holding workouts with certain teams and having a list of preferred destinations. Despite the concerns, he provides a much-needed boost on offense for an Utah team that won just 17 games this year, only two more than Bailey’s Rutgers team.

“This kid is one of the best to do it,” Monmouth head coach King Rice remarked after Bailey made his Rutgers debut against his team in November. “It’s amazing that he’s that talented as a young kid, and it’s cool that he’s at Rutgers. I watched him last year when he played against Camden (High School) and scored 50, and was like, ‘wow, how is this kid that good at that age?’”

While much was made of Bailey’s approach heading into the draft, no questions exist as to his potential or his future, where he will be able to make an immediate impact as the Jazz hope to move out of the Western Conference cellar.

“I just focus on the basketball part,” he said with regard to the questions about his workouts.

That is now all he needs to worry about.

Dylan Harper makes history as Rutgers’ highest draft pick, taken 2nd overall by Spurs

Dylan Harper embraces head coach Steve Pikiell after buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat Seton Hall in December. Harper became highest-drafted player in Rutgers history Wednesday when selected second overall in NBA Draft by San Antonio Spurs. (Photo by Rutgers Athletics)

NEW YORK — Dylan Harper arrived at Rutgers in a wave of history, as he and teammate Ace Bailey became the highest-ranked recruits to attend New Jersey’s state university. He added more accolades to his resume during his five months on the floor as a Scarlet Knight, most notable among them the program’s single-season scoring record for a freshman, with 564 points and a 19.4 points per game average.

Therefore it was only fitting that Harper—the native son of the Garden State and second-generation Rutgers star, following his brother, Ron Harper, Jr.— made more history in his official farewell on the banks.

Dylan Harper concluded his Rutgers career Wednesday night by becoming the highest NBA Draft pick in school history, when the point guard was selected second overall by the San Antonio Spurs. The 19-year-old is also the first-ever draft pick produced by head coach Steve Pikiell in his 20-year career between Rutgers and Stony Brook. He will become the third member of his family to play in the NBA, following his brother—who saw action in 11 games for the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons—and his father, Ron, Sr., who won five NBA championships in a 15-year career that saw him play alongside legends the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

“Man, I’m feeling everything,” Harper told ESPN’s Monica McNutt shortly after his selection by the Spurs. “All the emotion…the crying, the laughing, I feel everything, man. I’m excited.”

The youngest Harper quickly made a name for himself and stepped out of his brother’s shadow almost instantly, beginning his own legacy with three consecutive 20-point efforts in his first three collegiate games. Shortly thereafter, he upped the ante with back-to-back 30-point games in the Players Era Festival against Notre Dame and Alabama, the first Rutgers player to do so since 2006, when Quincy Douby—Rutgers’ most recent first-round draft pick before Harper—accomplished the feat.

Harper cemented his name in Rutgers and New Jersey lore on December 14, when his buzzer-beater erased a double-digit deficit and downed Seton Hall. Two weeks later, he tallied 16 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for the first Rutgers triple-double since 1983 in a win over Columbia on December 30. Despite Rutgers finishing just 15-17 behind the elite talent of Harper and Bailey, Harper remained grateful to Pikiell and his staff for developing him into the professional he is today.

“It probably didn’t go as everybody expected,” Harper said of his freshman season at NBA Draft media day Tuesday. “But it shaped me to be a better man off the court and a better player on the court, with the coaching staff pouring it all into me for that one year. Obviously, what matters most is winning—and we didn’t do a lot of winning—but from the beginning of the season, me and Ace developed a lot.”

Harper now heads to San Antonio, where he will join the NBA’s two most recent Rookies of the Year in 7-foot-3 phenom Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, who won a national championship last year at UConn. Although his fit in the Spurs’ backcourt may appear somewhat complicated with Castle and De’Aaron Fox also receiving a majority of minutes, he reiterated that he would have no problem fitting in wherever needed, a testament to his work ethic and selflessness on and off the floor.

“Positionless basketball is a thing in this league,” Harper said. “The way to be the best is to play with the best players, being one of those guys who fits in even if you have to sacrifice.”

“I think when you play with a bunch of great players, they bring the best out of you. They’ve got a great young core over there. I’m just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with them guys.”