With two championships in a row, the UConn Huskies have started recruiting new prospects as the team goes into a post-championship transition with several players departing for different reasons. Star guards, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer have exhausted their eligibility, while Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle have declared for the NBA draft. Exceptionally, redshirt sophomore, Alex Karaban too has declared for the NBA draft, however, he has also left the option to take a U-turn to stores open for consideration.

Gathering the squad for the next season later this year, the UConn Huskies have found a hidden gem in this blazing recruit who is swiftly climbing upwards with his efficiency and unmatched energy on the court.

Aidan Mahaney, the newest addition to the Huskies pack

Brought up in Lafayette, California, Mahaney carries within him the fire to excel. Blasting off as a Campolindo High School freshman, Aidan Mahaney led his high school team to the Division II state championship. Fast forward to his senior season, he had already developed his game to a double-digit average of 17.2 points, along with 3.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He was then named Player of the Year by the Bay Area News Group. Concluding his high school career, the four-star recruit committed to play for Saint Mary’s.

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Must have been a deja vu when he made his college basketball debut as it was the same electricity he had in the first game he played in high school. He scored a whopping 25 points in 26 minutes on the court against Oral Roberts.

Within a month he was already the team’s starting point guard. However, defeating Gonzaga as a freshman must have been his best game as he dropped 16 points in an OT 78-70 win over the 12th-rank team. He was named to the All-WCC team and WCC All-Freshman team.

Aidan Mahaney’s sophomore season was just as effective. Averaging 13.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, he was registering back-to-back 20+ point games including 25 points in an away game against New Mexico and 22 points against Utah. Also, he shoved 23 points against Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament title game.

However, Mahaney needed a better-suited environment for his energetic gameplay, as a result, he entered the transfer portal and found his calling.

Mahaney’s commitment to UConn

Needless to say, Aidan Mahaney is one of the best guards that were available in the portal. One of the reasons why he chose to move to play for the Huskies was, as he puts it, “I chose UConn because I want to compete for national championships. I chose UConn to be pushed, to be a part of something bigger than myself, to compete for a national championship and to become a pro.”

And there’s no better place to go than the two-time back-to-back champions. “UConn is a place that keeps the main thing the main thing. The coaching staff has proven themselves to be the best in the country the last two years,” he added.

Just like the Huskies’ aim, Mahaney’s vision on his basketball journey is clear and accurate. Having it all figured out, he knows whom he needs to work with to fulfill his need to develop specific skills. “Offensively with Luke Murray, I’ll be in a different system that should allow my game to grow even more. And defensively with Kimani Young, I’ll be challenged to become the best I can be,” Mahaney describes how he will be working with UConn’s assistant head coach, Kimani Young, and assistant coach, Luke Murray, to strengthen his offensive and defensive skills.

However, his quest will not be complete without the head coach, Dan Hurley’s guidance as he says, “Coach Hurley will push me to be the best player I can be and I can’t wait to pick his brain and the rest of the staff. Every subsection from managers to grad assistants and DOBOs all work incredibly hard and are detailed down to a T with everything.”

Mesmerized by UConn’s dominating prowess for two seasons, Mahaney’s perspective empowers him when he says, “The coaching staff doesn’t rebuild at UConn, they reload. There is no tiptoeing around the fact that the program is going for it all again, and I am ready to be a part of that journey towards continued greatness. One game at a time, obviously, but the goals at UConn are set the moment you walk into the facilities. National champs.”

Conclusively, Mahaney’s arrival at UConn is an upside for Dan Hurley, as he will be relying on Hassan Diarra, who was named the Sixth Man of the Year in the Big East Conference while he rebuilds a strong Huskies roster. The roster will also include guard Solomon Ball and forward Samson Johnson, who will be increasing their minutes played on the court.