Dan Hurley is on a mission to do what’s only been done once before in men’s college basketball. He has an arsenal of strong players on his side but there is a freshman who’s won him over completely. UConn has had impressive freshmen before, with Stephon Castle being the most recent one. But that was before Liam McNeeley came to town. And it might not just be the Huskies where the 19-year-old stands out but even Duke’s Cooper Flagg and the entire NCAA.

Talking to ESPN, Hurley mentioned which players he thinks could lead in the locker room. While expectations already ride on Alex Karaban, the UConn head coach also said, “We got a freshman named Liam McNeeley that’s gonna be one of the best freshmen in the country, if not the best; guy’s a total killer.”

When the season opened on Nov. 4, one of the most anticipated debuts this year was that of Cooper Flagg. The Duke freshman, who actually played with McNeeley at Montverde Academy in Florida, didn’t disappoint as he came to life in the second half against Maine. Sure, he’s not a scoring machine but his defense, blocking ability, and guarding multiple positions with offense make him a much sought-after all-rounder. And yet, he might not compare to UConn’s best this season, for Hurley.

The coach has outrightly called McNeeley “the best freshman we’ve brought in, in terms of how good he is right now.” There was a minor injury scare in July when McNeeley called his coach to tell him of an ankle sprain sustained in a workout. But three months later, the freshman looks in great shape to gel with his seniors and grab a trophy in March.

Hurley also said there were some sophomores that “are about to take off like rocket ships,” like Solo Ball, Jayden Ross, and Jaylin Stewart. It’s ultimately going to be a dangerous team looking for another victory and Liam McNeeley wants to be a part of it.

Liam McNeeley wants another trophy in Storrs as much as Dan Hurley – “Championship or nothing”

Everyone knows the mindset Dan Hurley is going to be in this season. And while he wants his team to display the same fervent passion, their newest recruit is also displaying it. Liam McNeeley told ESPN, “We-UConn has won back-to-back national championships and if it’s anything short of a national championship, it’s a failure. That’s just the culture I want to be around.”

Every Huskies player wears a ‘Dynasty‘ bracelet on their wrists this year. McNeeley also revealed, “The theme he implemented was dynasty. He’s talked about that a couple of times and he had the definition for us up on the board. That’s just the culture. Championship or nothing.”

As to why he corrected himself in the first statement from ‘we’ to ‘UConn’, the freshman has his goals clear. “I really haven’t done anything,” he said. “My slate is clean. I can’t take credit for those two national championships, but I do want to take credit for one.”

Dan Hurley is looking to make the impossible possible and so is his team. The back-to-back victories have only fired him up more and the intensity, combined with the uber-talented players, is sure to be an explosive mix.