"He'll continue to get a couple more rings on his fingers": Ex-UConn hooper Aidan Mahaney reflects on relationship with Dan Hurley

After playing just one season at UConn under coach Dan Hurley, Aidan Mahaney entered the transfer portal this offseason to return to his home state of California and play for UC Santa Barbara.

Despite Mahaney only wearing the blue and white for a single season, he has nothing but love and respect for Hurley and high hopes for the future of the program.

On Friday, Storrs Central posted an interview with Mahaney, in which he discussed the UConn standard, as well as his relationship with the two-time national champion coach.

"Coach (Dan) Hurley is going to bring the energy every day, and everyone's got to match it," Mahaney said (at 0:28). "It's elite here. It's why they're so special, and why they'll continue to be special.

"I got a lot of love for him. I hope that we can continue a relationship for years to come, but kind of just hearing his story and just the way that he empathizes with players as well as can relate to everybody, because he was an elite player as well, super cool. He's a Hall of Fame coach, and he'll continue to get a couple more rings on his fingers. I'm sure of it."

Although Aidan Mahaney will no longer be a part of the Huskies, he will be rooting for them from afar.

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Dan Hurley's UConn sees four players leaving via transfer portal including Aidan Mahaney

After failing to achieve a three-peat this past season, getting knocked out by the eventual national champion, Florida, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, several players decided that it was time for a change of scenery.

Freshman forward Isaiah Abraham was the first UConn player to enter the transfer portal this offseason. He appeared in nine games for the Huskies.

Fellow freshman Ahmad Nowell, a former four-star recruit, also put his name in the portal after playing just 6.5 minutes per game last season. Nowell committed to the VCU Rams on Apr. 15.

On Mar. 31, reports surfaced that sophomore big Youssouf Singare had also entered the portal. He will be joining the High Point Panthers next season.

The final player to exit Storrs via the transfer portal was Aidan Mahaney. The 6-foot-3 guard transferred to UConn from Saint Mary's last offseason and averaged 4.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game as a junior.