Former UConn star Liam McNeeley reveals his all-time Huskies starting five ft. Ray Allen

Liam McNeeley is one of the Charlotte Hornets' 2025 draft picks, which include Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner. McNeeley was drafted by the Phoenix Suns as the 29th pick on Wednesday night before being traded to the Hornets.

During pre-draft media availability on Tuesday, McNeeley — who spent his freshman season playing for UConn — was faced with the daunting task of choosing an all-time Huskies starting five.

Yahoo Sports posted the video of the segment on Instagram.

McNeeley began his lineup with Tristen Newton at point guard. Newton averaged 15.1 points and 6.2 assists per game for the Huskies last year and led them to their second straight national title.

Next, McNeeley chose Ray Allen at the shooting guard position. Allen played at UConn from 1993 to 1996 and is one of the program's leading scorers.

For his small forward, Liam McNeeley picked Rip Hamilton, who led the Huskies to their first national title in 1999. At the Center, he chose Donovan Clingan, who was a dominant force for Dan Hurley’s UConn in his two seasons. McNeeley initially named Andre Drummond at five, but changed his mind to Clingan.

At the power forward spot, the Texas native selected his captain, Alex Karaban. McNeeley was asked about Kemba Walker, who was a key player in UConn's 2011 national championship run, but the lineup was already full.

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Liam McNeeley shares his thoughts on getting drafted in the NBA

After just one season playing college basketball for UConn, Liam McNeeley declared for the NBA draft in April. According to ESPN's final mock draft, he was projected to be the No. 20 pick by the Miami Heat.

Instead, McNeeley had to wait a little longer, as he was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 29th pick.

"I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was five years old," McNeeley said after getting drafted, per NY post. "This is all I’ve ever wanted, and this is where the work really begins. So just all the memories and people that have helped me get to where I am, that’s where the tears came from. It takes so much sacrifice and dedication and passion ... but it’s all worth it to me."

McNeeley, who led the UConn in scoring last season, will now look to bring his talents to Charlotte to help turn the Hornets into a winning team.