“Liam McNeeley is a 35 year old in an 18 year old’s body”: UConn freshman and Alex Karaban are “clones” of each other, claims college hoops analyst

After the UConn Huskies' win over the Butler Bulldogs (78-74) on Saturday, Rob Dauster, John Fanta and Randolph Childress had high praise for Alex Karaban and freshman Liam McNeeley. Dauster labeled Karaban's current state of play as his coming-of-age, citing his ability to read and react to certain details of the game. Childress segued to McNeeley's underrated skillset of launching tough transition passes.

With that, Fanta claimed that McNeeley has a similar talent and instinct as Alex Karaban. The analyst said that the 19-year-old plays like a mature veteran because he efficiently sticks to Dan Hurley's script and does not require high-volume shots to make a winning impact

"It's a long season but Karaban is just beyond his years, he is as much of a winner in this sport as anybody he plays with, a killer instinct," John Fanta said (5:23). "Liam McNeeley is like a 35-year-old in an 18-year-old's body."

"And his poise and the way he plays, it's as if him and Karaban are clones of each other because this is an offense that's predicated on getting shooters open and making those shots. And McNeeley is like a robot, he goes three for three in this game (Butler), doesn't need the volume, he just drills those shots."

Veteran Alex Karaban and freshman McNeeley are leading the Huskies' offense, combining for more than 35% of their scoring. Karaban is leading with 16.5 points and 5.1 rebounds on 42.1% 3-point shooting. McNeeley is posting nearly 14 points per game alongside 5.8 rebounds on 42.9% shooting.

Liam McNeeley is coming off Freshman of the Week honors

Liam McNeeley earned his first Freshman of the Week honors for his recent performances, helping UConn regain its winning momentum after a dismal showing at the Maui Invitational.

McNeeley is the first UConn freshman to earn the honor this season, joining players like Duke's Cooper Flagg, Rutgers' Dylan Harper and more.

First-year forward Liam McNeeley posted his career-high 26 points and eight rebounds on over 50% shooting against the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 14. It was also the Huskies' highest-ranked matchup of the season yet.