It’s hard to win a national championship, even tougher to go back-to-back and three-in-a-row well that proved too much for even Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies. The two-time champs were bounced by the eventual new champion Florida Gators in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, a game they lost by the slimmest of margins in the second half. However, the biggest mistake Hurley made, was last offseason.
UConn had plenty to replace from its 2024 title-winning roster, but maybe most importantly were Final Four Most Outstanding Player Tristen Newton at point guard and eventual NBA lottery pick Donovan Clingan at center. Adding Tarris Reed Jr. from Michigan in the transfer portal gave the Huskies a solid one-two punch in the frontcourt with Samson Johnson, but Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney was not a good fit in the backcourt.
The 6-foot-3 185-pound guard started five games all season for the Huskies and saw his minutes plummet after a shaky performance in an overtime loss to Memphis in the Maui Invitational. He was nearly out of the rotation entirely, forcing defensive specialist Hassan Diarra and score-first shooter Solo Ball to split the primary playmaking duties in the backcourt.
Maheny simply didn’t have the size or strength to play in Hurley’s 1-4 switching defensive system and was routinely hunted on defense. It was a weakness that appeared in Saint Mary’s upset loss to Grand Canyon in the previous year’s tournament, and something Hurley shouldn’t have overlooked.
In 2024, Hurley had Newton at a sturdy 6-foot-5 and Stephon Castle at a rangy 6-foot-6. UConn needs length in the backcourt to be at its best and it appears that Hurley is done making exceptions.
NEWS: Georgia's Silas Demary Jr. -- one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal - - has committed to UConn, CAA Basketball's NIL division told ESPN. Danny Hurley’s track record of consistent winning and player development played an essential role in Demary's decision. pic.twitter.com/M62OK9cNZC
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 3, 2025
UConn lands Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. in the transfer portal
At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Silas Demary Jr. has the ideal size that UConn is looking for, and unlike most players at that size, he can be a true point guard. While he had issues with turnovers in his sophomore season at Georgia, Demary is a capable distributor averaging 3.1 assists with an 18.8 percent assist rate.
He’ll likely be the primary initiator for the Huskies next season, playing next to Solo Ball, who can settle into his role as an off-ball shooter running through a maze of screens and attacking closeouts. However, Demary is also a good enough shooter to play off the ball if Ball or five-star incoming freshman guard Braylon Mullins, who also stands at 6-foot-5, prove worthy of additional touches.
Demary will be an ideal fit on the offensive end, and unlike Maheny, he’ll hold up in Hurley’s switching scheme on defense. Demary is long enough to guard wings and strong enough to hold up in the post without getting punished too badly in mismatches. So far, Demary is the only transfer heading to Storrs and even if UConn ends the offseason that way, it will be a successful one.
Maybe back-to-back titles convinced Hurley he could win with anybody and shoehorn Maheny into his system. It didn’t work and now he’s back to his core roster-building philosophies as he looks to lead the Huskies back to the mountaintop.