McNeely first attended Decatur Baptist Junior College, where he set high-scoring records on the school's basketball team. He transferred to Texas Wesleyan University in 1940, but his "shot-crazy" style created doubt as to how well he could fit on the team. During his first season at Texas Wesleyan in 1940–41, McNeely established himself as one of the most talented players on the team and was named team captain for the 1941–42 season. He helped guide Texas Wesleyan to an undefeated record during the 1941–42 regular season, with the team's only two defeats coming in the postseason against Sam Houston State in the Southwestern AAU Tournament and San Diego in the Kansas City National Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament. In December 1942, McNeely left the team after volunteering to serve with the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. During his service, he played basketball with the Fort Worth Army Air Field team from 1943 to 1944, and then with the Randolph Field team in 1945. He was discharged on December 31, 1945. During 1946, McNeely played with the Globe Aircraft team. McNeely received professional basketball contract offers following his discharge, including a "dollar, two eighty a game" deal with the Leonards "B" team, but elected to return to Texas Wesleyan for the 1946–47 season. He was named team co-captain alongside Hardy Fortenberry. Before the season's start, Texas Wesleyan coach Johnny Edwards stated that McNeely had a good future in professional basketball and could play professionally after he graduated. By the start of 1947, McNeely, nicknamed "The Man of a Million Shots", was leading the nation in scoring by a margin of 116 points. He missed three games in January 1947 after suffering a fractured wrist. McNeely led his team to a school-best 30–4 record, won the conference championship and earned third-team All-American honors after leading the NAIA in scoring with 725 points. He was named to the All-NAIA first-team alongside teammate E. F. Parham. McNeely held the Texas Wesleyan single season scoring record for 62 years until Chris Berry had 740 points in the 2008–09 season. Regarded as a "deadly" free throw shooter, he also held the Texas Wesleyan record for most free throws made with 213 until that too was surpassed by Berry in the 2008–09 season with 216. McNeely studied Administrative Education at Texas Wesleyan, and completed his master's degree after returning to the university in 1953.
BAA draft
McNeely was selected with the first pick of the inaugural 1947 BAA draft by the Pittsburgh Ironmen, becoming the first player ever drafted in the National Basketball Association. The Ironmen had earned the first pick in the draft after attaining a 14–45 record in the first season of the Basketball Association of America. However, McNeely was not interested in signing with the team, and ultimately never played a game of professional basketball. McNeely and Gene Melchiorre of the 1951 NBA draft are the only two number-one draft picks in NBA history to never play basketball professionally. The Pittsburgh Ironmen ultimately folded before the start of the 1947–48 season.
McNeely married Peggy Jean Gallagher, who was a fellow student at Texas Wesleyan, on June 14, 1947 in Cisco, Texas. Peggy worked as a teacher at Pampa High School during her husband's tenure there. The couple had three children: twin sons Phillip and Michael, and daughter Sheryl. McNeely coached his two sons on the Pampa basketball team, and they would both go on to become high school basketball coaches.
McNeely worked in school administration following his retirement from coaching in 1960. He served as an assistant principal at Castleberry High School, principal at Bridgeport High School and Denton High School, and administrator at Irving Independent School District before retiring in 1985. McNeely died December 26, 2003, at the age of 84. McNeely was inducted into the Texas High SchoolBasketball Hall of Fame, the Slidell ISD Hall of Fame, the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Wesleyan University Hall of Fame. Pampa's gymnasium was renamed McNeely Fieldhouse in his honor after his retirement. Former members of the Pampa basketball teams he coached founded the Clifton McNeely Endowed Scholarship in 2002.
