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Former Saint Mary's and UConn Guard Aidan Mahaney Announces Surprising Transfer Portal Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andy Patton | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 7:32 PM ET

After a trip across the country for his junior season, former Saint Mary's guard Aidan Mahaney is back on the west coast, although he won't be able to torment the Gonzaga Bulldogs from the WCC anymore.

Mahaney committed to UC Santa Barbara out of the transfer portal on Tuesday, returning home to California after a lone season at UConn.

Mahaney played high school ball at Campolindo near Moraga, and committed to coach Randy Bennett and the Gaels ahead of his freshman season in 2022-23. He immediately stepped into a huge role for SMC, averaging 13.9 points and 2.0 assists while shooting 40% from three.

That included a massive game against Gonzaga in Moraga, which cemented his place in program history and as a heel for the Zags.

UConn transfer Aidan Mahaney tells me that he has committed to UC Santa Barbara.

Significant Big West News.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 29, 2025

Mahaney put up similar numbers for the Gaels as a sophomore and decided somewhat surprisingly to enter the transfer portal, ultimately landing with the UConn Huskies, at the time the back-to-back national champions.

However, Mahaney was unable to find the same success in Storrs, averaging just 4.5 points and 1.3 assists in 12.4 minutes per game. While his three point shooting remained solid at 35.9%, his 6'3, 180 pound frame limited him defensively and made him unplayable at times in the notoriously physical Big East conference.

UConn finished top ten in adjusted defensive efficiency in both national championship seasons, but that fell to 75th last year - and while that's certainly not all on Mahaney, he wasn't impactful enough on that end to garner more playing time.

Now the senior guard lands with the Gauchos, a program that has a track record of bringing in reclamation projects out of the transfer portal - including Creighton's Ben Shtolzberg and Auburn's Yohan Traore in 2023 and San Diego's Deuce Turner in 2024.

Gonzaga's non-conference schedule is far from finalized, but unless the Gauchos are added - or these teams lineup in an NCAA Tournament game - the Zags might avoid facing Mahaney for the first time since he debuted in college hoops back in 2022-23.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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