In 2024-25, McNeeley averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game. He shot 38.1 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three, and 86.6 percent from the foul line.
McNeeley’s hails from a strong basketball family, with his great-grandfather (Gordon Elsey played at Tulsa), grandfather (Chuck Elsey at TCU), mother (Ashley Elsey at Rice), and two uncles (both at SMU and one had a stint at Baylor).
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NEW YORK — Sitting in a suite at the world’s most famous arena is a women’s basketball star of equal acclaim: Paige Bueckers.
In what somehow feels like just yesterday and also a lifetime ago, the UConn women’s basketball point guard had one of the most sensational freshman campaigns we have ever seen from an NCAA basketball player.
After later missing significant time due to a very rare knee injury, she continued playing some of her best basketball yet again once healthy.
Now in what is very likely her final year of college, she is focused on pursuing her first collegiate national championship before she eventually turns pro.
But on Monday night, Bueckers found some time on a well-earned off-day to relax. She wore a grey Eric Emanuel sweatsuit with Swarovski crystals and in New York City, she decided to watch some NBA basketball with all of her teammates.
Despite suffering a minor injury the previous night on Sunday against Villanova, the UConn star caught up with For The Win in the Verizon Club at Madison Square Garden while the Knicks played the Magic on Monday.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
How has Minnesota produced so many great basketball players recently like you, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Suggs?
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Bueckers: The fact that it is so cold there, people who play basketball are inside the gym all of the time working on their craft and getting better. I think it’s an escape from the cold just to be able to play. I think the “Minnesota Nice” phrase comes to mind. People from Minnesota have a chip on their shoulder just because they’re not expected to be good basketball players. We all have this toughness about us.
It means everything to be able to represent Minnesota. It is known as a hockey state but the basketball production is great as well. I’m close with Jalen and Chet and so many other basketball players who have done so well these past few years. It’s really cool to see the growth and the exposure and Minnesota getting a little bit of credit for basketball.
What are the top storylines everyone should know in women’s basketball right now?
Bueckers: The growth. The amount of talent throughout college, the WNBA, and even high school. The more exposure we get, you see the views going up and the attention going up and the accessibility to watch going up. You see positive results every single time. I think we need to acknowledge that women’s basketball is great to watch. Whenever we get the platform, we perform. There are big names, but when you tune in to watch the big names, you leave as fans of so many others because it is such a beautiful sport we play and it is a team effort.
Bueckers: USC’s JuJu Watkins was a great matchup with me. She gets the attention she deserves. Olivia Miles is another player, and she plays with another great player in Hannah Hidalgo. Those two together are tough. My teammate Sarah Strong is extremely good. She is just a freshman but she has shown everybody how great she is already. We play Tennessee and South Carolina on the road in February and those are going to be great games. Those are great teams. Tennessee and UConn always have a rivalry.
What is something you have picked up from Geno Auriemma if you were to ever coach?
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Bueckers: I would take his ability to challenge his players. I feel like he has a good spot on his players and how to challenge them and how to support them and when to use which. But that comes with connecting with his players, building relationships with his players, and that is the most important part of what makes him a great coach.
But he is our toughest opponent every single day at practice so we are prepared for the biggest games. When the opponent is shooting 100 percent on 3-pointers or when the crowd is crazy, he is the toughest opponent and he prepares us that way every single day.
Do you feel you have been more aggressive after returning to UConn for one more season?
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bueckers: It is going well. It is all a toss up because you don’t want to get outside of yourself and outside of the team and start shot-hunting. But I’m looking to be aggressive first and look for my shot and that leads to distribution to others and getting my teammates open. I think I’ve done a pretty good job. I’m growing every single day.
I can only get better from here as well. It is all part of the new challenges that this year has presented. We are very young and we don’t have a ton of experience. So being a leader and having to use my voice and find that new challenge every single day, I’ve enjoyed growing and learning and embracing the ups and downs of it.
You have the first player edition shoe for an NCAA player. Do you think we will ever see a collegiate signature shoe and what would yours look like?
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Bueckers: It is very cool to have a player edition shoe. I’m very blessed and grateful. It is an amazing opportunity. I’m extremely grateful to Nike that they saw that in me.
That’s a good question about the signature shoe, though. I think it might be coming down the line. Obviously, with players starting to sign in high school now, it can be in the works sooner. I like low-top shoes. I love Kobe’s. I like Sabrina’s now. I would want it to look different, though. There are so many shoes that are starting to look similar. So I’d have to make mine pretty different, I think.
How big of a role did NIL opportunities play in your decision to return to college?
Bueckers: I don’t think NIL necessarily played a big role in me coming back. But it has done tremendous things for me and players around the country so we can build our brand and our platform and these relationships with different brands and people. You can continue to help grow who you are and grow who your teammates are with this platform. NIL has seen more college players in the media and commercials, so it is great for the growth of the game as well. A lot of these players deserve what they are getting and they work hard for it, so it is such a beautiful thing to see.
How do you choose your NIL deals and what are some things you look for?
Bueckers: I think giving back is huge. I like to have opportunities to give back to my hometown and where I am playing now and where I want to play in the future. I want to give opportunities to people who are less fortunate. I definitely want to run camps in the future. When I leave college, I’ll have more time in the offseason where I invite kids and give back to communities who need it and deserve it. I’ve been very blessed growing up so I just want to give the platform that I have.
So for example, I’m at the Knicks game tonight with Verizon. They have a lot of the same values that I do. We’re working together for the future with that, which is really exciting. They’ve done a tremendous job with me here tonight inviting us to the lounge and suite and they gave me the opportunity to give gifts to my teammates. I think that is huge. I’m not getting these deals by myself. My opportunities play a huge part in that. No success in basketball is an individual thing. It is a team thing. So being able to share that with my teammates is amazing.
Bell broke out for a career year with UConn in 2024, finishing with 50 catches, 860 receiving yards (team high), 17.2 yards per reception (team high) and five touchdowns (team high). Those numbers nearly surpass his three-year totals with the Badgers (2021-23): 69 catches, 755 yards and six touchdowns.
Bell was one of Wisconsin’s top receivers during the 2022 season, producing 30 receptions, 444 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He slid down the depth chart in 2023 after the arrival of Phil Longo’s air raid offense and a host of transfers at the position.
He and top receiver Chimere Dike transferred out after the 2023 campaign: Bell went to UConn, and Dike went to Florida.
Both players found considerable success with their new programs. Dike is off to the 2025 NFL draft. Bell will be back at UConn for his final year of eligibility.
Wisconsin is set to enter 2025 with Vinny Anthony, Trech Kekahuna, Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard and Idaho transfer Mark Hamper leading its wide receiver corps. The room is set to a return to its pre-2023 look with new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes returning the program to a pro-style offense.
Bell’s performance at UConn will continue to be worth watching. He, Dike and Keontez Lewis (transferred to Oklahoma) have all found significant success since transferring out.
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A former Wisconsin receiver headlines an awesome story
Former Wisconsin wide receiver Skyler Bell was at the center of UConn’s Wasabi Fenway Bowl win over North Carolina on Saturday.
Bell tallied three catches for 77 yards and a touchdown in the 27-14 victory. His 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter gave the Huskies a 10-0 lead, one they would carry to the end of the contest.
That headline is interesting in its own right — Bell excelled at UConn this season after transferring from Wisconsin after the 2023 campaign. It is even more noteworthy given the veteran wide receiver reentered the transfer portal on Dec. 17.
Bell is currently in the process of finding a new destination for his final year of eligibility. He utilized the Wasabi Bowl as a final showcase for interested teams, plus helped UConn clinch its first nine-win season since 2007.
That approach is a rarity in the current age of college football. Those with NFL draft aspirations rarely suit up for a bowl game, let alone those already in the transfer portal. Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are beginning to alter that first trend — both projected top-five picks are playing in the Buffaloes’ Alamo Bowl contest against BYU.
Outgoing transfers staying to finish the season is almost unheard of. Penn State backup Beau Pribula is one of many who even departed amid College Football Playoff runs.
Bell’s move to UConn was already a success before Saturday. He finished the regular season with 47 catches, a team-high 783 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. His decision to play in the game is a testament to the culture built by Huskies head coach Jim Mora. It’s also a credit to Bell, who will likely soon transfer to a top program for the 2025 season.
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A Fenway Bowl loss to UConn closed out UNC’s disappointing football season.
The North Carolina Tar Heels had a golden chance to finish their football season with some rare, positive momentum on Saturday afternoon against UConn in the Fenway Bowl.
Instead, UNC lost a disappointing – but unsurprising – 27-14 matchup against a Huskies (9-4) squad that hadn’t won a bowl game since 2009.
North Carolina (6-7) finished with a losing record for the second time in four seasons, a trend we so desperately hope ends under head coach Bill Belichick. Saturday was UNC’s fifth consecutive loss in a bowl game.
The Tar Heels played without several starters in Saturday’s Fenway Bowl. Omarion Hampton was expected out, as he declared for the NFL Draft weeks ago, but the recent opt-out of starting right guard Willie Lampkin was unexpected.
An already-thin UNC squad thinned even more early in the first half, with starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell leaving after getting hit on a scramble. Criswell was expected to play coming in, but his departure was the last thing North Carolina needed.
Just how much did the Tar Heels’ offense struggle on Saturday? They didn’t pick up a first down until late in the second quarter, when freshman quarterback Michael Merdinger – who’s in the transfer portal – completed a 23-yard pass to starting tight end John Copenhaver.
To make matters worse for UNC’s offense, it didn’t convert a SINGLE third down and went just 1-of-3 on fourth down tries. UConn, on the other hand, converted 8-of-16 third down attempts and its lone fourth down try.
North Carolina’s defense never seemed like it was able to get off the field. The Tar Heels struggled against the run once again, allowing five different Huskies to combine for 210 rushing yards.
With Belichick already in Chapel Hill, we’re hoping this recent chapter of mediocrity in UNC football finally came to an end today.
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Here’s where and when UNC football will be streaming against UConn in the Fenway Bowl today!
North Carolina will match up with UConn in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl today. They will be playing in the MLB’s Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, on Saturday morning. UNC football heads into this matchup having been in the news frequently over the past couple of weeks. Since they last took the field, they have hired Bill Belichick, Mike Lombardi, and Steven Belichick along with naming Freddie Kitchens the interim head coach for this bowl game.
They ended their season with a 6-6 record overall, with higher places in their sights in the future. UConn finished 8-4, tremendously better than their 3-9 finish last season where they didn’t make a bowl game. Here is how you can tune into UNC’s last football game of the season.
What channel is North Carolina vs UConn on today? Time, TV schedule
North Carolina will be without All-American running back Omarion Hampton, who has run for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns and is responsible for 373 yards on 38 receptions and two receiving touchdowns. However, Davion Gause has already proved that he has what it takes to be Hampton’s replacement. In the one full game, Hampton missed this season, Gause ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. The Huskies have the better record at 8-4, but whether it’s Joe Fagnano or Nick Evers, I don’t think they’ve seen Power Five football level this season. I think UNC football closes out the Mack Brown era with a cover and a total of points over.
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Latu transferred to Wisconsin entering 2022 from Utah. He started for the Badgers that season, totaling 55 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and three pass deflections.
The veteran safety then played only 14 games over the next two years following the program’s hire of coach Luke Fickell. Latu suited up for three contests in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.
He joins a UConn program that has become a popular destination for former Wisconsin transfers. Nick Evers and Skyler Bell transferred to the Huskies after the 2023 season. Bell had a career year with the Huskies, helping lead the team to a program-best 8-4 season and Fenway Bowl appearance.
Wisconsin will enter 2025 with Preston Zachman as its primary starting safety and an opening at the other spot. Transfers Matthew Traynor (Richmond) and Matt Jung (Bethel) figure to compete for the major share of snaps.
The position is one of several on Wisconsin’s roster that had its depth decimated during this portal window. In addition to Latu, redshirt freshmen Justin Taylor and Braedyn Moore transferred out.
Latu’s added intrigue to his transfer on Monday when he specifically thanked Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard for his time at Wisconsin. Neither coach has been with the program since 2022. There was no mention of the Badgers’ current staff.
“Huge shoutout to Paul Chryst and Jim Leonard staff for an amazing time at Wisconsin,” Latu posted on X. “Wisconsin will always have a special place in my heart!”
Huge shoutout to Paul Chryst and Jim Leonard staff for an amazing time at Wisconsin! Wisconsin will always have a special place in my heart!
Latu is one of 10 former Badgers to announce a transfer destination so far. For where every departing transfer ends up, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.
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JuJu Watkins played like a superstar against UConn and was richly rewarded for her performance.
On Saturday night, the USC women’s basketball team earned a statement victory over UConn on the road. Following the performance, accolades and recognition have begun to come in for the Trojans. At the center of it all has been star sophomore guard Juju Watkins.
On Monday, Watkins was named the Big Ten Player of the Week. On Tuesday, she followed that up by earning national player of the week honors from both the AP and USBWA.
It was Watkins’ second time this season earning both honors. It is obviously still very early with the vast majority of conference play yet to be played, but at this point, she is widely considered the favorite to win Big Ten player of the year.
With the victory over UConn, the Trojans also rose to No. 4 in the AP Poll. The three teams ahead of USC are No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 South Carolina, and No. 3 Notre Dame.
With their nonconference slate complete, the Women of Troy will now gear up for the heart of their Big Ten schedule. Up next is a matchup with No. 23 Michigan at Galen Center on Sunday night.
It was a statement victory for Lindsay Gottlieb and the Trojans. Coming off of last season’s Slite Eight run, USC entered 2024-2025 with the program’s highest expectations in decades. However, in their only other game of the season against a top 15 opponent, the Women of Troy were upset at home by Notre Dame.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, the 2024-2025 USC team had yet to prove that they could beat an elite opponent. Against UConn, the Trojans did just that, putting together a gutsy performance to grind out a victory on the road in a hostile environment.
In addition to earning a major resume boost, USC made a statement by beating UConn. They proved that last season’s run to the Elite Eight was not a one-off.
Last season was obviously an incredible one for the USC women’s basketball program. While the expectation was that the Women of Troy would build off of that success, you can never be certain of such in today’s landscape of college sports. While USC returned superstar Juju Watkins and added several key players in the transfer portal, the Trojans did lose three of five starters from last year’s team.
Saturday night, however, but to bed the notion that the Women of Troy would be a one-hit wonder. By taking down the sport’s premier program of the past two decades, USC proved that this program under Gottlieb is a force to be reckoned with. And if the current trend is any indication, that will be the case for years to come.
(This story has been updated to include additional information.)
At this rate, it will be shocking if the USBWA isn’t honoring a Notre Dame player almost every week for the rest of the season. The Irish have been that good.
[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] was one of five players to earn weekly national honors by the organization for the week ending Dec. 15. She previously earned them for the week ending Nov. 24.
Through six weeks of the season, Notre Dame has had one of its players honored by the USBWA every week except for one. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] and [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] have earned national honors once, and [autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] was honored as the nation’s top freshman once. The only thing the Irish haven’t won is the weekly team honor, but it would not be surprising if they did so before season’s end.
You know more awards will be coming for her very soon.
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