Kon Knueppel is expected to vie for the Rookie of the Year honors, especially after the way he headlined the Charlotte Hornets show in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League. However, Liam McNeeley could overtake him and the other favorites for the award at the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
Since 1958, only four players who were selected outside of the top 10 in the draft have bagged the prize. Those who pulled it off were Jamaal Wilkes (11th overall pick) in 1974-75, Mark Jackson (18th) in 1987-88, Michael Carter-Williams (11th) in 2013-14, and Malcolm Brogdon (36th) in 2016-17.
McNeeley could etch his name in the history books by outplaying not just Knueppel but also each of the 28 guys drafted before him. Interestingly, he wasn't even supposed to be the No. 29 pick, as some pundits had thought he was good enough to be a lottery selection.
Hornets were fortunate to have landed Liam McNeeley that late in the draft
A consensus five-star recruit coming out of Montverde Academy, McNeeley's draft stock dropped considerably after playing for one season with the University of Connecticut. His greatest strength is supposed to be his shooting from long range, but he sank just 31.7 percent of his 3-point attempts and 38.1 percent overall from the field. The surprising inefficiency and injury concerns may have dissuaded a lot of teams from bringing him in.
Some of those who overlooked McNeeley might be regretting their decision now after he displayed during his two-game stint in Summer League why he could very well be the steal of the 2025 draft. He put up 18.0 points per contest while connecting on 40.0 percent of his tries from 3-point range. Given also that he logged an 86.6 percent efficiency from the free-throw line in his lone season with the Huskies, the worry about his ability to splash it from downtown may have been overblown.
However, being a sharpshooter is hardly his only forte. The Texas native is also a sneakily adept rebounder, as evidenced by his average of 6.0 boards per match in college and his impressive 12-rebound haul in his Summer League debut. Additionally, last year, he became the first Husky freshman to record back-to-back doubles since 1978.
Some notes from UConn:
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) November 10, 2024
Liam McNeeley is the first Connecticut player to open a season with two double-doubles since Jeff Adrien in 2006.
McNeeley is the first Husky freshman to double up in his first two career games since Corny Thompson in 1978.
If he can carry over that skill to the NBA, he could give the Hornets a more compelling reason to give him a significant amount of playing time, more so because two of their centers aren't elite rebounders. Putting a competent McNeeley on the floor alongside either Ryan Kalkbrenner or Mason Plumlee could help mask the big men's possible flaw.
Furthermore, McNeeley's high basketball IQ, motor, and connective playmaking abilities can help hasten his potential to be a productive player even during his rookie year. In many ways, the 19-year-old swingman's skill set is pretty similar to Knueppel's, although his being two inches taller than his teammate could give Charlotte more reason to lean on him in certain matchups.
Regardless of how McNeeley and Knueppel's maiden campaigns in the NBA turn out, though, the Hornets are fortunate that they have someone who is expected to compete for the Rookie of the Year plum and another who can stealthily slip into the race.