"This could be our most talented roster" - 2x national champ Dan Hurley makes huge claim about the Huskies' new roster

Despite losing a handful of key pieces from his back-to-back championship teams, UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley is still extremely confident about his team`s chances heading into next season.

He even went as far as to claim that the Huskies` 2024-2025 roster is its best yet. David Borges of CT Insider posted the UConn HC`s words on X recently:

"We think, top to bottom, this could be our most talented roster," Hurley said.

Hurley seems quite confident of his team`s chances at history, even though he lost several key guys like Cam Spencer, Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, and Tristen Newton, to name a few.

Castle and Clingan are projected to be consensus first-round picks, while Newton and Spencer are second-rounders as per recent mock drafts (via Bleacher Report).

Despite the major departures, the guys at Storrs are not sitting on their laurels. Hurley wasn't as active in the portal as one might've expected for a coach looking to win his third straight NCAA championship. But he still got a handful of great commitments from younger talent, including former Michigan Wolverine Tarris Reed, four-star recruit Ahmad Nowell, and five-star recruit Liam McNeely (via On3).

Is Liam McNeely UConn`s next big star?

McNeely could be the next best thing for Dan Hurley and UConn, with the 6-foot-7 scoring wing ranked 11th in the entire nation and third in all small forwards. After initially committing and then de-committing from Indiana, the Huskies snatched him up and are hoping to make him their next star for the foreseeable future.

Here`s what On3 scouting thinks of McNeely`s offense potential:

"Liam McNeeley can shoot the basketball. That is probably his feature tool, but he is more than just a shooter. With good positional size, 6-foot-7, he can straight line drive a sloppy close-out, knock down a one, and two-dribble pull-up, and is a smart off-ball cutter."

On Liam McNeely`s defensive instincts:

"McNeeley is a good team defender; he understands footwork and angles well. He also rotates properly and is not afraid to step in and take a charge. While there will be on-the-ball questions, he is good with deflections and defending off the ball."

The youngster still has yet to play a minute of NCAA D1, but he seems to already have an excellent team and a proven winning system under Dan Hurley. So for now, it remains to be seen whether he'd help at least lead UConn to a chance of a legendary three-peat.