Mahaney

[UCTitleTown]

Great job tonight, that 3 from the corner and the high banking layup were massive.

The first half steal and layup were huge.

 

[UCan3]

Kid played a good game and contributed. He’s a well deserved beating all season. So, let’s celebrate his success and hope there is more to come.

Great take!

 

[jibsey]

This could be the rebirth of Aiden Mahaney. Let’s see how he plays tonight but Hurley has been trying to get him to do this all year.

 

[jostar1]

 

[ctbro1999]

If Mahaney is finally finding his footing, great time to be doing it!

 

[CONN78SEJ]

This is not the time for what happens next year but I definitely see Mahaney back here but not starting. Not so sure about about who else would be point guard. Hurley does not like where he currently is with that position we can all be certain.
Out on a limb, Mahaney is going to give us something good in the post season. There, I’m on record.

After last night I’d say your record is a good one.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I'd love to get his honest take on why Mahaney hasn't worked out as well as planned.

Hey great call, maybe revise your handle slightly?

 

[jostar1]

Hurley talks a lot about Mahaney here. He says Mahaney is excited to play in the NCAA Tournament where he won't be mauled.

 

[Umami Zen]

Young man has fortitude and character. He can/could really impact our March if he trusts his instincts and the guys in the locker room. Tremendously valuable bench player for us to rest Hass. Thought he embraced the physicality of BE guard play vs Nova on Thursday. Was getting hit/bumped all night

 

[CONN78SEJ]

This could be the rebirth of Aiden Mahaney. Let’s see how he plays tonight but Hurley has been trying to get him to do this all year.

He’s had a few double figure games this season already. People just don’t remember them when it conflicts with their overall opinion of said player.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

He played well last night. Offensively, he was aggressive. Didn't hesitate on the outside shots and took it to the hole. Very happy for him. Defensively, I feel like it's mostly a strength thing, but he did decent there last night as well. All around good game for a guy coming off the bench. Would love to see him string a couple together and really take his game to a better place.

 

[RuffRuff]

Encouraging minutes from AM - we are going to need him. Hass is essentially hopping on the right leg at times to take pressure off it. I don’t think we are going to get really effective minutes from him again this year.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Encouraging minutes from AM - we are going to need him. Hass is essentially hopping on the right leg at times to take pressure off it. I don’t think we are going to get really effective minutes from him again this year.

Hass looked less aggressive than he had in recent games. Turned down a wide open 3 that I'd like to see him shoot and didn't really drive to the hole. If Hass can't be aggressive, we'll need more from AM. I finally decided after last night's game that I don't care for Liam being the guy to bring the ball up. His handle can be a little loose at times. I do prefer Hass, Alex, Solo or AM doing it. Maybe we can set some back court screens to make it easier.

 

[RuffRuff]

Hass looked less aggressive than he had in recent games. Turned down a wide open 3 that I'd like to see him shoot and didn't really drive to the hole. If Hass can't be aggressive, we'll need more from AM. I finally decided after last night's game that I don't care for Liam being the guy to bring the ball up. His handle can be a little loose at times. I do prefer Hass, Alex, Solo or AM doing it. Maybe we can set some back court screens to make it easier.

Was at the game - Hass is hobbled. It doesn’t look great. He will literally light hop on the right leg off the ball. Muscles through clear pain with it, but will also hop a bit to burst from a set position. I don’t know how you can ride him into the tourney because if it’s not good after 5 days of rest, not sure when it will be.

With you on Liam - he is really messy right now. Isn’t playing reads as much as he’s just premeditating what he’s doing.

 

[AidanFan20]

What ever happened to @AidanFan20? Probably a good thing for him that he's not around here.

Right here, reading this comment.

I haven't been watching UConn that much... It's high-school playoff time. High-school ball ALWAYS comes first.

 

[AidanFan20]

I'd love to get his honest take on why Mahaney hasn't worked out as well as planned.

Like many on here, I thought Aidan had bitten off a little more than he could chew. Looks like he's getting some mojo back now, though...

If you search to my very first post, I showed little confidence even then, saying something on the order of "I hope Aidan can help".

Got a little friendly flak for it, too. It's all good, no matter what happens as we move on in the postseason.

 

[Stinger92860]

Yup. He was actually our best guard today. He’s finally growing back into the player we thought we were going to see and it couldn’t come at a better time than March.

I don‘t think he is the player we thought we were getting, but he has certainly improved, giving us serviceable minutes to rest Hass, and showing he can hit a shot (which we thought he could do). I think his D is still less than average but that has also improved.

 

[RuffRuff]

I don‘t think he is the player we thought we were getting, but he has certainly improved, giving us serviceable minutes to rest Hass, and showing he can hit a shot (which we thought he could do). I think his D is still less than average but that has also improved.

Need him confident and playing alpha not beta. He showed that yesterday other than passing on one open shot. We’re gonna need him and Hurley wants him do some redeeming, you can sense it.

 

[AidanFan20]

So his family is rich and (probably) religious. Wouldn't have expected that.

Lafayette is a fairly affluent area... Campolindo HS is in nearby Moraga, an even more affluent area. The public-school system there has four high schools in it that I can think of offhand and is open enrollment, in other words a kid living in the district can choose among those four schools. If he had had to stay in his school boundary, he would have gone to Acalanes HS and been with the enemy, to me... I've been a Campolindo fan for close to 40 years.

Fortunately for me, he and his older brother, Carter, chose Campo.

Carter was also a hoops star, but not to the level of Aidan... He had a penchant for making last-second shots, so often that I called him "Cardiac Carter". Carter did go to D1, Northern Arizona. Injuries sidelined him a LOT and he hung up his sneaks before even finishing college.

I met Aidan's parents often, had zero idea that Aidan's dad was a celebrity until my brother spotted him on the news and asked me to see if I knew him... Yup, that's the guy...

 

[AidanFan20]

Without question the best game of the season. Looked like a different player out there. A no no yes moment when he didn't kick out to Jstew and instead finished high off the glass...impressive. He also did have a couple of nice passes. Just needs to give us this type of game every night.

I LOVED that play! Was so glad to see it return to his game... In high school and his frosh year at SMC, he was SO gifted and driving hard, laying it up SOFT, using all those angles, etc.

I was there watching when he sparked the Gaels to a home win over Gonzaga... FOUR of those nifty driving layups, I think in four straight trips down the floor...

No idea what caused his sophomore slump... But I think it stayed in his head even into this season. Hope whatever demon was eating at him stays away forever!

 

[homunculus]

I don‘t think he is the player we thought we were getting, but he has certainly improved, giving us serviceable minutes to rest Hass, and showing he can hit a shot (which we thought he could do). I think his D is still less than average but that has also improved.

I agree, but I think he’s moving toward being a key bench piece, and “compounding interest” on his confidence is what I’m looking for at this point. If he can build on the last few games, it will mean a lot over the next two weeks. Better late than never.

 

[RuffRuff]

I agree, but I think he’s moving toward being a key bench piece, and “compounding interest” on his confidence is what I’m looking for at this point. If he can build on the last few games, it will mean a lot over the next two weeks. Better late than never.

What does he have to lose at this point? If I'm Aidan, I go into the back end of the season as free as a bird - let it rip. Go earn your NIL. And to the presser, it will be good for him to get out of the BE. Creighton will also be a matchup that works in his favor. I can see him playing big minutes tonight, letting Hass rest for the final matchup where we'll need him more.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Mahaney's current improvement is setting the stage for him to experience a true NCAA Tournament redemption, especially after a two-year struggle for him w/ Saint Mary's in the big dance:

2023: 9 pts in two games, 30 2P%, 12.5 3P%
2024: 13 pts in one game but 25 2P%, 23.1 3P%

We don't need volume from him in the tournament, but I'd love for him to have an efficient tournament with a couple big/clutch moments for him to exorcise his past performance w/ Saint Mary's. The good news is that the BET is a pressure cooker compared to the WCC-T, so he impressed in the QTs.

 

[Umami Zen]

Like many on here, I thought Aidan had bitten off a little more than he could chew. Looks like he's getting some mojo back now, though...

If you search to my very first post, I showed little confidence even then, saying something on the order of "I hope Aidan can help".

Got a little friendly flak for it, too. It's all good, no matter what happens as we move on in the postseason.

We need Aidan to be solid in post season play to have any chance at a deep run. He's definitely playing with more confidence and trusting his instincts. Physical play of BE guards has been a challenge but he showed last night that he belongs. Guys in the locker room know he can help them win games.

 

[HooperScooper]

Good article from Dom. Whatever you think of Mahaney's game it does sound like he's a good dude and a great teammate.

“All season long Coach Hurley’s been doing an amazing job with me,” Mahaney said, “just making sure I’m good, pushing me but also making sure I’m in the right mental frame, so I give the credit to him. Everyone sees just the antics on the sideline, but that dude is just an all-around, great coach. Interestingly enough, me and coach have a lot of similarities, growing up in our playing careers. He’s just shed a lot of light on certain things. Got a lot of love for coach. We have a close relationship. Just knowing I’ve got someone in my corner means a lot to me.”

Dom Amore: This UConn newcomer finally showing signs he’s just what the surging Huskies need

His first season at UConn has been hard on Aidan Mahaney, but he’s had a coach “in his corner.” Now, he’s finding his voice .

www.courant.com

Alternate access:
This UConn newcomer finally showing signs he’s just what the surging Huskies need