UConn's Dan Hurley Wants To See Aidan Mahaney 'Keep Going' Versus DePaul
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The UConn Huskies go to battle with the DePaul Blue Demons on Wednesday night, and it will be an opportunity for Huskies guard Aidan Mahaney to cement himself as a key contributor.
Mahaney played well against Xavier on Saturday, finishing with 14 points on 2-for-3 from downtown.
It was just the fourth time this season that Mahaney has scored in double figures, however, and Huskies head coach Dan Hurley wants that number to keep climbing.
“I’d like to see Aidan keep going,” Hurley said during a media availability session on Tuesday ahead of DePaul.
“Where our season goes has been tied to him from the beginning. What he did at Xavier from an offensive standpoint, minus the turnovers (was what we need)… making hard shots from three, getting to the rim, getting us some offense off-script.”
Mahaney’s three-point shooting is a key ingredient to his and UConn’s success, but what’s even more vital for Mahaney and the Huskies is whether or not he’s able to get to the free throw line.
When Mahaney’s getting to the charity stripe, it’s an indicator that he’s playing confidently and aggressively, which is how Hurley and UConn need him to play if they want to be competitive come March.
Mahaney has just 22 free throw attempts on the season. He’s had three games where he reached the line five times — and what do you know — those games were Mahaney’s highest-scoring outputs of the season: 15 points versus Providence (5-for-6 FT), 14 points versus Xavier (4-for-6 FT), and 11 points versus Maryland-Eastern Shore (4-for-5 FT).
To stay consistent, Mahaney should make it a point to consistently get to the line, which means staying on the attack as a driver.
He’s obviously not the biggest or strongest guy at the high-major level, but Mahaney is actually an underrated finisher in traffic with the way that he can extend the ball away from his body with either hand for a tough layup after taking contact.
Making sure to attack the paint here and there will also help Mahaney keep his pulse on the rhythm of the game, which will give him greater rhythm as a shooter for those couple of catch-and-shoot opportunities he gets each game.
Mahaney looked like a real threat versus Xavier. He needs to keep that going versus DePaul and onward. On the contrary, when opposing teams don’t consider Mahaney noteworthy on the scouting report, they can sell out on guys like Solo Ball and Alex Karaban, making UConn’s overall offense less fruitful.
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