mcneeleyfotw.jpg
USATSI

After missing just over a month of action due to an ankle injury, UConn star freshman Liam McNeeley returned to the lineup earlier this month against St. John's. In McNeeley's second game back, he recorded the best performance of his college career by scoring 38 points in a 70-66 win on the road against Creighton.

"He's going to be a top 10 (NBA Draft) pick," UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the Creighton game. "No freshman has had a more impressive performance in this type of environment against a team like that."

McNeeley was expected to play a key role for the two-time reigning national champions, with multiple members of last season's team departing the program. McNeeley is averaging 15.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 17 games this season.

College basketball rankings: No. 4 Duke cruises past Virginia as Cavaliers fall further into irrelevancy
Gary Parrish
College basketball rankings: No. 4 Duke cruises past Virginia as Cavaliers fall further into irrelevancy

McNeely is shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc on 5.2 attempts per game and has posted four double-doubles. Although UConn lost a heartbreaker last weekend to Seton Hall, having McNeeley back in the lineup is a game changer for the Huskies' hopes at a potential three-peat this spring.

Freshman of the Week: Liam McNeeley, UConn

Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the five most impressive freshmen in college basketball. CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week we'll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.

The former No. 10 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports has played a key role for the two-time reigning national champions this season. After missing some time with an ankle injury, McNeeley recently returned to the lineup and provided the Huskies a spark.

Since returning from his injury, McNeeley has scored in double figures in all three games. McNeeley scored a career-high 38 points against Creighton and finished with 11 in a loss to Seton Hall last weekend.

Previous Freshman of the Week winners

Frosh Watch: Ranking top five freshmen

1. Cooper Flagg | G/F | Duke 

Stats: 20.0 PPG | 8.0 RPG | 4.2 APG 

Flagg scored 17 points and set a new career-high in rebounds (14) in Duke's blowout win over Virginia on Monday. Last weekend against Stanford, he delivered an all-around performance, recording 19 points, six assists and five rebounds. Flagg is currently the frontrunner to win ACC Player of the Year and potentially national player of the year, too. Last week: 1

2. Dylan Harper | G | Rutgers

Stats: 18.5 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 4.0 APG 

Harper scored 11 points against Iowa and 13 against Oregon last week. The Scarlet Knights have lost four of their last five games, dating back to a loss to Michigan earlier this month. Last week: 2

3. Ace Bailey | G/F | Rutgers 

Stats: 18.6 PPG | 7.4 RPG | 1.5 BPG 

Bailey logged his third game this season with less than 10 points in a 75-57 loss to Oregon. Bailey finished with eight points after scoring 13 days before against Iowa. Last week: 3

4. Kasparas Jakučionis | G/F | Illinois

Stats: 16.0 PPG | 5.5 RPG | 5.0 APG 

Jakučionis came alive in Illinois' 83-78 win over UCLA at home last week by scoring 24 points. Jakučionis followed it up by scoring 17 points in a loss to Michigan State. Last week: 4

5. Tre Johnson | G/F | Texas

Stats: 19.8 PPG | 3.2 RPG | 2.6 APG 

Johnson is one of the best pure shotmakers in college basketball, and his performance last weekend against Kentucky helped his team add a key win to their résumé. Johnson finished with 32 points and nine rebounds in Texas' 82-78 win over a shorthanded Kentucky squad at home. When Johnson is on, there are not many people in the sport that can stop him from getting a bucket. Last week: NR