Nov. 7—STORRS — The night before his much-anticipated UConn debut, freshman Liam McNeeley showed up at Gampel Pavilion after practice to shoot some jumpers.
McNeeley just returned to team workouts last weekend after missing time with a calf injury.
A McDonald’s All-American from Richardson, Texas, McNeeley made a strong first impression in No. 3 UConn’s season-opening 92-56 win over Sacred Heart at Gampel Pavilion.
“I’m super grateful and I feel very blessed to be here and have the opportunity to have my college debut at UConn,” McNeeley said. “I wasn’t really nervous. I was just really happy to get to play again because I’ve been sidelined with the injury and had some time off.
“Basketball is my joy, so when I got to play again, I was just so happy. Basketball is what gives me life.”
McNeeley, a 6-foot-7 forward, showed off his smooth jump shot, finishing with 18 points on 6 of 11 shooting and added 10 rebounds. He joined transfer Aidan Mahaney, Solo Ball, Samson Johnson and Alex Karaban in the starting lineup.
Coach Dan Hurley has raved about McNeeley’s potential to be a future NBA lottery pick. Big East coaches recognized McNeeley’s talent by selecting him as the league’s preseason freshman of the year.
Wednesday’s impressive performance was just a start for McNeeley.
“He had three days of practice after missing two and a half weeks,” Hurley said. “Obviously, you could see the strong performance. … That’s just the tip of the iceberg with him. This guy is going to be so good this year.”
McNeeley also had his share of freshman moments against the Pioneers, and he will continue to in the upcoming games while adjusting to playing Division I college basketball.
Redshirt junior Alex Karaban, on the other hand, is about as reliable as the sunrise. The only returning starter from a team that won its second straight national championship in April, Karaban picked up where he left off last season.
Karaban finished with a team-high 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists. He did his best impression of his former roommate and teammate Donovan Clingan with a career-high seven blocks.
“When you’re roommates with the best defender in the country for the last two years, you learn a couple of things from him,” Karaban said. “I’m going to give credit to him for the blocks.”
Sophomore Solo Ball, who Hurley is counting on to have a breakout season, contributed 16 points.
UConn dominated play, shooting 51.6% and holding a 47-25 rebounding edge. The Huskies shared the ball, assisting on 25 of 32 field goals. Sacred Heart shot an icy 33.9%.
Hurley is excited about his team’s potential.
“You see the vulnerabilities, but I also see a team that has great potential,” Hurley said. “We’re just going to get better and better. We’re going to be competing for the same things that we’ve been competing for the last two years.”
A sold-out crowd energized the Huskies during the pregame national championship banner unveiling ceremony, giving the team a standing ovation. The new video board played messages from Cam Spencer, Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle and Clingan who were all selected in the NBA Draft in June.
“I was more emotional than I thought I would be,” Karaban said. “I was just super excited to see the banner. Seeing Cam, Steph, Tristen, Donovan, all my guys, that really hit me. Damn, I miss them a lot. It was a good ending for a celebration, putting that in the past and to see the banner.
“And then you’re able to go out there with the new guys. We want to chase that goal, too, and it started today. We’re going to get better from this game.”
The Huskies gradually pulled away from Sacred Heart (0-2), building a 46-31 halftime lead and extending the gap to 24 with 13:40 left. They found some offensive rhythm and buckled down on defense.
Karaban sparked a 13-4 run by burying a 3-pointer and then recording his sixth block.
Later, McNeeley converted a graceful runner in the lane and Ball drilled a 3-pointer. Tarris Reed Jr., a transfer from Michigan, drained two free throws to push the lead to 59-35.
A powerfully built 6-10, 260-pound junior, Reed grew more comfortable as the game progressed. UConn recruited Reed to form a new center combination with Johnson, who’ll be counted on to play a bigger role this season.
Extremely early signs are encouraging. Reed chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench while Johnson had nine points, three rebounds and two blocks before fouling out with about seven minutes left.
“I don’t think the center spot is going to be an issue,” Hurley said.
News and notes
UConn held a moment of silence for former sports information director and athletic administrator Tim Tolokan, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 79. Tolokan was the sports editor at the Norwich Bulletin before working at UConn for 38 years. … UConn commit Braylon Mullins, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, attended the game with his family. … Sophomore reserve Jayden Ross (ankle) sat out Wednesday’s opener. He’s considered day-to-day. … Up next: UConn hosts New Hampshire in Hartford at 8 p.m. Saturday.
