NBA Comparison: Corey Kispert

Strengths: Skilled and cerebral wing with a polished offensive skills and excellent feel for the game … McNeeley is one of the most fundamentally sound perimeter scorers in his class — he excels at playing within the flow of the offense, making smart reads, and exploiting defensive mistakes … His shooting is his most defining strength — a reliable catch-and-shoot threat with deep range and a fluid, compact release … Shows excellent footwork relocating off the ball and thrives in off-screen action … Shot creation is another key asset — he does a good job of shooting off screens and facilitating in the pick and roll … Uses a variety of floaters, pull-ups, and runners to finish around length … Solid passer for a wing — reads help well and delivers sharp kick-outs or quick post entries … High-level decision-maker with a team-first mentality … Defensively, he positions well, communicates, and finds ways to make up for a lack of great natural ability on that end … Competes on every possession and displays strong leadership traits … Has proven to be a clutch performer, knocking down game winning shots in high school and showed a high level of mental toughness to handle pressure situations at UConn … His shooting numbers don’t tell the full story and his 86.6% free throw shooting is a good indicator of his true shooting potential on the wing …

Weaknesses: Athletically, McNeeley is average — lacks elite burst and vertical pop … Below the rim athleticism, limits his ability to score on drives and in the paint … Did not have a great playmaker setting up shots for him, and his inability to create space for open looks was exposed … Shooting percentages dipped as the season wore on, and competition level rose (finished the season on a 11-for-44 (25%) cold spell from three … His spot up numbers suffered as a consequence of his shooting woes … Defensively, while solid fundamentally, he struggles guarding quick-twitch scorers in space … Foot speed affects his lateral ability defensively … Needs to get stronger physically to handle NBA-level contact and hold position on drives … Not a high-volume isolation scorer — more of a secondary creator than someone who breaks defenses down regularly … Doesn’t draw a ton of fouls and will need to improve his aggressiveness getting downhill … A little turnover prone at 2.1 per game, perhaps a function of being asked to create more than he was comfortable, and missing a stand out point guard teammate … 0.6 steals per contest another indicator of McNeeley’s lack of high end speed and ATH … Needs to continue working on his off-hand and finishing through length in traffic … His defensive ceiling may be limited by average foot speed and lack of elite recovery burst … While his shooting is a strength, consistency from NBA three-point range will be important to fully unlock his off-ball value … Despite being just 19, he may lack the upside of some other younger prospects as his speed and ATH is limited and his game is relatively polished … Can get off two feet pretty well for dunks in the half court, but struggles to get his feet organized on the break for athletic finishes … Lacks great length, will likely measure a +1″ or +2″ at most …

Outlook:  McNeeley projects as a reliable, smart, and fundamentally sound wing who can contribute as a shooting specialist at the next level, and potentially grow into something more … Known for his professionalism, basketball IQ, and polished skill set … His underrated shooting, good feel, and versatile passing should allow him to thrive offensively as a floor spacer … While he may not project as a star or go-to scorer, his potential as a rotation-level wing is solid … If he can continue to develop his frame, become more comfortable off the dribble, and improve his defensive abilities, McNeeley has upside to be a long term contributor in the right system … He fits best alongside primary creators as a spacing wing …

Notes: Native of Richardson, TX … Born October, 10, 2005 … Committed to UConn after de-committing from Indiana … Played at powerhouse Montverde Academy, helping lead them to a 2024 Chipotle Nationals championship … Was a consensus top-20 prospect in the 2024 high school class … Led the UConn Huskies team in scoring as a freshman at 14.5 ppg  …

Aran Smith – 4/11/25

Strengths: 6’7 shooter … Efficient scorer. Averaged 13.7 points per game on 47.6% FG% over the NIBC in 2022-23 and 12.3 points per game on 50% FG% over the EYBL Scholastic in 2023-24 … High-level 3PT shooter that projects to translate at higher levels. Quick release with proper mechanics and has no wasted motion in his shot. Shoots well off the catch or minimal dribbles. 3PT shooting: 45% 3PT% 5 3PTA NIBC 2022-23, 41.7% 3PT% 5 3PTA Nike EYBL 2023, (league best) 45.9% 3PT% 5.1 3PTA EYBL Scholastic 2023-24 … Reliable free throw shooter: 84.8% FT% NIBC 2022-23, 83.3% FT% Nike EYBL 2023, 88.2% FT% NBPA Top 100 2023, 82.6% FT% EYBL Scholastic 2023-24 … Moves well off the ball. Shoots and scores off curls and while moving … Can score in the post when given the mismatch … Can occasionally score with his left-hand at the rim … Handles contact and physical defenders well … Averaged 1.3 steals per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2023 and over the EYBL Scholastic in 2023-24 … Doesn’t over-dribble and keeps turnovers low. Doesn’t force his scoring and makes the extra pass. Usually makes the right read when getting ran off the 3PT line using minimal dribbles. Averaged 0.5 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2023 … Has potential to make immediate contribution in college. Good feel for the game, knows who he is as a prospect and there’s no questioning his role moving forward. Doesn’t try to do too much and plays within himself … Good aggression and confidence …

Weaknesses: Average size for position and doesn’t have great length … He’s a bit stiff athletically and isn’t real quick or explosive by NBA standards … Isn’t a high-level rebounder for his size: 4.5 RPG NIBC 2022-23, 4.6 RPG Nike EYBL 2023, 3 RPG EYBL Scholastic 2023-24 … Minimal dribbling ability and lacks ability to create. Can attack closeouts but overall, his threat as a scorer goes down when he puts it on the floor … Understands positioning as a team defender and shows willingness on that end but doesn’t project to be a lock-down perimeter defender at the next levels …

Outlook: Uconn freshman … Won Gold at the U16 Americas Championship in 2021 … Helped lead Montverde to a 33-0 record and win the 2024 Chipotle National Championship … 2024 Naismith All-American 3^rd Team … 2024 McDonald’s All-American … MVP of the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic with 25 points (5-10 3PT) …

Evan Tomes 9/15/24