Things were finally looking good for the freshman Liam McNeeley. His season-high 26 points against the Gonzaga Bulldogs showcased why he was touted as a five-star recruit by major scouting agencies. But, it all came crashing down for the for the 19 year old three games later.

In the second half of the game against the Depaul Blue Demons, Liam injured his ankle colliding with Depaul guard Layden Blocker while chasing a loose ball. This comes as a huge loss for Dan Hurley’s UConn, who confirmed in the post-game conference that the forward injured his ankle.

Liam, who was averaging 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game this season while shooting 42.9% from the field, will be a significant loss for the Huskies. The recently crowned Freshman of the Week took to Instagram to reassure fans, letting them know he’ll be back soon.

McNeeley’s girlfriend, Ryann Gleason, showed her full support with a two-word comment, “so true,” on his post, which included the caption, “Walk slowly, but never with a limp.” This message came as McNeeley focuses on his recovery, eager to return and help the Huskies, who are currently second in the Big East with a 5-1 record. But let’s address the elephant in the room: How long will he be out? Coach Dan Hurley has provided some updates on McNeeley’s injury status!

Liam McNeeley out for ”weeks”

On Saturday, Hurley confirmed that his star freshman will be out for ”weeks” and not days. He said,” Liam got the high ankle sprain and so it’s gonna be not days but weeks for him, so hopefully if things go the way where I’d imagine to go , maybe you’ll see him at the end of January”. 

Hurley also confirmed that he was too much from him as a freshman, hailing him as not only the freshman in the league but also one of the best players in the league. He said, ”Liam was doing more for his team you know than you know almost any freshman in the country.” ”I mean what we were asking from him was two-way player, second leading rebounder, a creator with a high usage rate, clutch shot maker, closer in the second half of games”. ” You know he established himself as not only one of the better freshmen, but you know one of the best players in our league”.

There’s little doubt that Liam McNeeley will come back stronger, supported by his girlfriend, family, and the team staff. For now, the Huskies must adjust without their star freshman as they aim to maintain their second seed in the Big East Conference.