Aidan Mahaney Appreciation - A mixture of Cam and Joey California

[NewBlood]

I saw a little bit of both last night from Aidan. He is a guy who is crafty and dangerous, but also a bit of a spark plug off the bench like Joey C. He didn't look too physically small to be out there, loved the left hand drive / throw the right shoulder to create space. He also seemed to be vocal, leadership with a new group is nice to see him take.

Whether he is starting or the first G off the bench, he is going to be a value add from the transfer portal. Nice find Danny and the coaching staff

 

[RuffRuff]

Pleasantly surprised, was great at the presser too. Felt like a leader up there. Knows how to find space, hesitations, footwork, crossover. A craftsman out there.

 

[6in25]

He seemed a lot more comfortable last night compared to how he looked during the open practice this summer. Super excited to see him grow as a player under Danny & Co. Glad he's a Husky!

 

[UCan3]

I saw a little bit of both last night from Aidan. He is a guy who is crafty and dangerous, but also a bit of a spark plug off the bench like Joey C. He didn't look too physically small to be out there, loved the left hand drive / throw the right shoulder to create space. He also seemed to be vocal, leadership with a new group is nice to see him take.

Whether he is starting or the first G off the bench, he is going to be a value add from the transfer portal. Nice find Danny and the coaching staff

I don’t know if it’s just that he doesn’t look physically imposing but all I look at is the results. The dude was dropping dimes, played better D as the night went on and went right at the basket.

If he isn’t a starter - we’ve got have him in the game for ~25+ minutes - he’s too good to sit on the bench. I think him and Solo were the best players on the court last night.

 

[Umami Zen]

Aidan's just getting started. Great to see him smiling and having a good time on the court. Pretty obvious that he has the confidence of his coaches and teammates. He and Hass will be great mentors for Ahmad

 

[dogpause]

It seemed as if he has been biding his time, waiting for the lights to come on. The confidence he exuded was impressive, and rather Cam-like.

 

[superjohn]

I don't know why people are surprised by Mahaney or why people were down on Mahaney. Dude was one of the best freshman in the country two years ago. His efficiency was down last season but it's a function of St. Mary's running terrible offense and Mahaney being looked to for bail outs at the end of the shot clock.

He's going to be one of our best players, dude is a stud.

 

[runner11]

Mahaney is the one guy who had been getting tepid reviews this off-season. Which was odd because as SJ said, he was a stud at Saint Mary’s. Kinda brings me back to Tristen’s first summer with us. At least according to Dauster, he struggled a lot and the staff was iffy on him out of the gates. And he did develop a ton over the 2 years but he was still good Year 1. I think some guys are just gamers.

 

[boog204]

Mahaney is the one guy who had been getting tepid reviews this off-season. Which was odd because as SJ said, he was a stud at Saint Mary’s. Kinda brings me back to Tristen’s first summer with us. At least according to Dauster, he struggled a lot and the staff was iffy on him out of the gates. And he did develop a ton over the 2 years but he was still good Year 1. I think some guys are just gamers.

I spent all of 11 seconds in the chat the yesterday to see someone, in mid season form, say that Aidan was not the player we thought he was. Didn’t age well. The dude can play.

 

[HuskyFich]

Mahaney is going to be our Jordan Hawkins this year....

Just run run run run run...then bury a 3 in your face with 4 seconds left on the clock...

 

[awy]

Mahaney is the one guy who had been getting tepid reviews this off-season. Which was odd because as SJ said, he was a stud at Saint Mary’s. Kinda brings me back to Tristen’s first summer with us. At least according to Dauster, he struggled a lot and the staff was iffy on him out of the gates. And he did develop a ton over the 2 years but he was still good Year 1. I think some guys are just gamers.

it's literally just one guy trying to kick him off of the team based on one (1) hour of open practice

 

[jostar1]

In David Borges recent article, Mahaney said that he had some minor issues in his personal life last year and some nagging injuries.

Hurley said he wants Mahaney to put his scoring average (13.9 ppg) behind him. Well, he started doing that last night.


"And, while Mahaney's scoring average stayed the same from his freshman to sophomore seasons, his shooting percentage (42.8 to 38.6) and 3-point percentage (40 percent to 35.5) both took dips last year.

He said he had a lot of "minor stuff" going on in his life last season, including some nagging injuries.

"I don't want to get too into it," Mahaney said. "Essentially, excuses. I could have played better. But, there were some things that were lingering."

Hurley has told him: "Hey, we both are aware that you wanted to do better last year. Now, let's scratch that, keep that edge, and what can you do to help us now?"

So, could another 13.9 ppg season from Aidan Mahaney, this time in a much tougher league, be in the works?

"That would be good," Mahaney said, with a smile. "Maybe if I can keep some of the similar stats, that wouldn't be bad. But I hope that I can play to my strengths over here, but also look a little different in this offense."

Predictably, Hurley has his superstitions.
“I’d preferably have him at 14 (ppg), just to kind of leave that behind," the coach said, with a laugh. "But for us, it’s about efficiency, it’s about having better shooting numbers than what you’ve had in your career, both from 3 and from the field. Like guys like Cam (Spencer) have had when they’ve joined us, or guys like Tristen (Newton) has had when they joined us as transfers.”

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/aidan-mahaney-uconn-huskies-dan-hurley-19820901.php

 

[ddent68]

I think at least part of the reason he came off the bench is that Hurley is loyal to the guys that came before. Hass has earned the start and it lets Mahaney know he's going to have to take it. Nothing is given. The players know who is playing well and who isn't or who is playing better than someone else. If Mahaney continues to have nights like last night that's an easier conversation to have with Hass and the rest of the team will recognize that he earned it. Either way both of those guys are an important part of the team and will earn plenty of minutes.

The Sleeper dudes are all hung up on who starts. It's quite possible that Hass and Mahaney are not.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I'm doing a piece for Big East Vault that'll drop later this month where I rank Big East teams, state their ceiling and a factor needed for ceiling to come to fruition. In relation to Mahaney, here's a sneak peak to what I wrote about UConn.

1) UConn

Realistic ceiling: Three-Peat

Factor needed for ceiling to come to fruition: 2-guard production

There’s a lot to like about UConn’s three-peat chances: Senior forward Alex Karaban is back after testing the NBA draft waters and is a legit All-American candidate. The shutdown two-way ability of fifth-year guard Hassan Diarra reminds many so much of former UConn champ Ricky Moore. With Samson Johnson and Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr., UConn boasts yet another rock-solid center tandem. Like Stephon Castle last season, Liam McNeeley is a five-star plug-and-play starter at the 3.

Whether it were Jordan Hawkins in 2023 or Cam Spencer in 2024, UConn’s #2 scoring option on their championship teams were at the 2-guard. Currently, Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney has the inside track to start at the 2-guard after finishing last season averaging 14 points-per-game and shooting 35% from three. However, listed at 6’3 185, there is some doubt whether the junior guard has the size and toughness needed to consistently produce in the Big East.

Mahaney’s biggest competitor for the starting spot is sophomore guard Solomon Ball, a former top-50 prospect who started ten games early last season, but failed to reach double-digit minutes in any game following Valentine’s Day. Last week, head coach Dan Hurley shared high praise for Ball, claiming that he “has taken the biggest leap of the sophomores.” Although the 2-guard spot might have the least certainty on UConn, seeing who steps up at that spot will be one of the more intriguing stories to follow this upcoming season.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I thought the same thing watching the scrimmage. A great inheritor of the Joey California and Killer Cam legacy. As a side note, he can use to get a bit thicker. The Big East is a tough league.

 

[bendm]

Sign me up for Mahaney being our second leading scorer (after Alex) at 14ppg on 45% from 2 and 40% from 3 RIGHT NOW.

Cam was our second leading scorer last year at 14ppg and we had 5 guys averaging double digits. I can see the same thing playing out but this year 6 guys average double digits: Alex, Mahaney, Liam, Ball, Diarra, and Stew

 

[jostar1]

 

[Palatine]

Mahaney has played in a lot more important high pressure games than Cam or Joey did. I think this experience will serve him well and he will be key for the Huskies next season.

 

[ddent68]

I was thinking that Mahaney is a vet because he's a junior and I guess he is but Cam and Joey were grad students and extremely experienced. Aiden it would seem has a lot of room to grow still.

 

[Fan1978]

I spent all of 11 seconds in the chat the yesterday to see someone, in mid season form, say that Aidan was not the player we thought he was. Didn’t age well. The dude can play.

The guy averaged 14 points for 2 years at a top program. He grew up 6 miles from st marys and came here. I am shocked that so many doubted his ability on this board. Makes me wonder if anyone watches basketball outside the big east. He is a great player and will certainly be one of the top 3 players on the team. Just needs a little time to learn a new system and gel with the other players