UConn lands Saint Mary's transfer guard Aidan Mahaney - ESPN

Saint Mary's transfer Aidan Mahaney, one of the best available guards in the portal, has committed to UConn, he told ESPN.

Mahaney is the second crucial addition for the Huskies in recent days, following five-star recruit Liam McNeeley, who committed on Friday night. The Lafayette, California native visited the Huskies' campus late last week, but then took a trip to visit Kentucky this past weekend. He had also visited Creighton and Virginia, but Dan Hurley and the reigning back-to-back national champions won out.

«I chose UConn because I want to compete for national championships,» Mahaney said. «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. 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. 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.

»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."

A key factor in Mahaney's decision was UConn's desire to make history again and go for a third consecutive national championship.

«The coaching staff doesn't rebuild at UConn, they reload,» he said. «There is no tip-toeing 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