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.”