Liam McNeeley (30) celebrates a basket during game between the Butler Bulldogs and the University of Connecticut Husks at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former UConn Huskies Star Takes A Steep Drop In New NBA Mock Draft

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI | By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 2:35 PM ET

With two weeks before the NBA Draft, it's still unclear where former UConn Huskies forward Liam McNeeley will be selected.

Earlier this week, CBS Sports was projecting McNeeley to be the final selection in the lottery, going to the San Antonio Spurs at pick No. 14.

However, its new mock draft has the former UConn star take a steep drop down to the 21st pick by the Utah Jazz.

"McNeeley is a plug-and-play forward in the NBA. He plays well within the flow of an offense and has experience playing with other very talented players at the high school and college levels. When McNeeley missed time with an injury at UConn, his team looked notably different. His shooting numbers from 3-point range (31.7%) don't tell the full story," wrote Cameron Salerno.

While this mock draft predicts McNeeley to fall into the final 10 selections in the draft, the forward could actually be better off starting his NBA career with a rebuilding team such as the Jazz.

McNeeley likely won't have to fight for playing time and could be one of the top scoring options on Utah, and even has a chance to start, especially if Lauri Markkanen is traded at some point during the offseason.

It'll be interesting to see how McNeeley's draft stock changes leading up to draft night.

As Salerno noted, McNeeley's college shooting stats don't tell the full story, and that could be one of the reasons why analysts have different predictions on where he could be selected.

This article first appeared on UConn Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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