Liam McNeeley’s individual brilliance could significantly alleviate UConn’s point guard dilemma. Following a challenging two-game stretch against Marquette and St. John’s, where the Huskies recorded an astonishing 47 turnovers, head coach Dan Hurley faced a room full of reporters and expressed his frustration, stating that he felt like “a s—ty coach.” This sentiment, while exaggerated given his recent success with back-to-back national championships, highlights the pressure and expectations surrounding the youngest coach in a family renowned for its basketball prowess.
Much of Hurley’s concern stemmed from the formidable defenses posed by the Golden Eagles and Red Storm, both known for their relentless pressure. During a postgame press conference after the Huskies’ 68-62 loss to St. John’s, Hurley pointed out that not every Big East team plays with such intensity, noting that both Marquette and St. John’s were ranked among the top 12 in the AP Poll at the time of their matchups.
However, another layer of Hurley’s frustration was tied to a pressing issue that could derail UConn’s aspirations for a third consecutive title. Starting point guard Hassan Diarra was hindered by a knee injury, which Hurley indicated would require substantial time to heal. Diarra struggled through 34 minutes against St. John’s, and his performance waned with each attempt to change direction, leaving the team without a solid alternative.
“I don’t know what we’re gonna do about the point guard situation with Hassan’s health and the lack of answers that we have there,” Hurley remarked, glancing at a box score that showed only six minutes for reserve guard Aidan Mahaney, the sole backcourt player to come off the bench. Small forward Liam McNeeley, returning from a nine-game absence due to a high ankle sprain, praised Diarra’s effort, calling him a “warrior” and stating, “I don’t know what else we could ask of him.”
In a twist of fate, Hurley’s lighthearted comment about Mahaney’s potential role hinted at a strategic shift. Against Creighton, he decided to bench Diarra and handed the ball to McNeeley. This decision proved monumental as McNeeley delivered a career-high performance, scoring 38 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, leading UConn to a dramatic 70-66 victory. This remarkable feat not only ended Creighton’s nine-game winning streak but also positioned McNeeley among an elite group of Division I freshmen, joining the ranks of basketball legends like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
“An unbelievable performance by McNeeley,” acknowledged Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. “We hadn’t seen him before, and he was as good as advertised and then some. We lost to a heck of a basketball team, and a guy that will be playing in the NBA next year had an incredible night. We let him get started, and then once he got started, he was really hard to stop.”
The sustainability of a McNeeley-led offense will be crucial as UConn continues its pursuit of a third national title, especially with opponents now aware of this new strategy. The next challenge awaits with a road game at Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX). For a team whose season was hanging by a thread, McNeeley’s resurgence has come at a pivotal moment.
“He’s got swagger,” Hurley noted. “He possesses the kind of confidence that guys like Cam Spencer and Donovan Clingan had, that ‘F-you’ attitude that makes him our biggest personality. We missed that. It’s been a missing ingredient in some of our late-game situations.”
