Liam McNeeley Q&A

Liam McNeeley, a freshman at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas, has been identified as potentially one of the top freshman prospects in Texas. Already standing at a sturdy 6’6” with good scoring ability and athleticism, McNeeley will be a name to follow in the coming years.

As part of the Pro Insight Q&A series, Liam talked about his family, his game, his goals, his recruitment, his favorite superheroes & much more.

For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2024 prospect Liam McNeeley from Richardson, Texas:

Pro Insight: Can you share a bit about your family and your background?

Liam McNeeley: Born and raised in Richardson, Texas. I’ve always lived here. I went to elementary school at Mohawk, which is across the street from my high school. I mainly live with my mom and my sister. My sister is 18 and about to graduate. My mom is 44 and owns her own business.

PI: What does your mom do?

LM: She owns a consulting firm called Minerva Consulting. She does a lot of work with non-profit organizations.

PI: Do you play any other sports?

LM: When I was little I played all the sports. Soccer, flag football, baseball, and basketball. I’m just playing basketball right now. During the middle of seventh grade, I stopped playing baseball because I didn’t have time to focus on both baseball and basketball.

PI: Did any of your immediate or extended family members play sports at a high level?

LM: My great grandfather played basketball at Tulsa. My grandfather played at TCU. Both my uncles played basketball at SMU, and then one of them transferred to Baylor. My mom played basketball at Rice. I’m hoping to keep it up.

PI: Does your family’s strong basketball lineage add extra pressure?

LM: No. They’re very supportive. If I wanted to stop playing basketball right now, they’d be totally cool with it. But I want to keep playing.

PI: For those who don’t know about your game, could you describe it a little bit?

LM: I make a lot of plays. I think I always find the right player, the open player. I always make the right decision and I play hard.

PI: What are some things you can improve on?

LM: My ball handling and my strength on the court.

PI: What have you been doing to work on that?

LM: During the pandemic, I started lifting weights with my uncle in the garage. I gained a lot of weight during that time.

PI: What’s the most underrated part of your game?

LM: I think my rebounding, actually. If we needed a big rebound, I would take the task and go get it.

PI: How did you manage to continue working on your development during the pandemic?

LM: Since I didn’t have anything to do actually, I have a hoop at my house, and I would try to work out on that every single day and just get better.

PI: Who are some of the players you pull from for your game?

LM: Luka Doncic. I like how he plays. He can do a little bit of everything, always finds the right guy, can hit the three, finish at the rim, and hit mid-range.

PI: Was there anybody else you watched a lot as a little kid?

LM: I loved watching Dirk. I don’t really think I play like him, but he’s been a big role model for me.

PI: So are you a big Mavericks fan?