Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are hard at work searching for a point guard to replace Mario Saint-Supery, whose surprise departure left the team incredibly thin in the backcourt heading into the 2026-27 season.
In what was perhaps the only bit of good fortune for Gonzaga this offseason, a recent ruling in Ohio has given eligibility to a handful of players in the class of 2022 - which has spawned many other lawsuits across the country.
One such lawsuit was filed in California and includes the most notable potential point guard on the market - former UCLA guard Donovan Dent - as well as Dent's teammate Skyy Clark and former Texas point guard Jordan Pope.
Another intriguing - and highly controversial - name the Zags could target if things don't work with Dent is former Saint Mary's, UConn, and Santa Barbara guard Aidan Mahaney .
Mahaney is also part of the California lawsuit, and while he spent most of his career relishing in wins over Gonzaga, there are plenty of reasons he would make a nice fit on this roster if he is granted a final year of competition.
Dec 14, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Aidan Mahaney (20) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Mahaney is a 6'3 guard from Capolindo, CA who became one of the highest-rated recruits to ever commit to Randy Bennett at Saint Mary's, heading to Moraga as a freshman in the 2022-23 season.
Mahaney was immediately excellent for the Gaels, averaging 13.9 points and shooting 40% from three while earning All-WCC First Team and WCC All-Freshman team honors - and taking it to Gonzaga in an overtime win in Moraga that February, his first time facing the Zags.
The sharpshooting guard returned for his sophomore year and put up nearly identical numbers, averaging 13.9 points while shooting 35.5% from three on a whopping 6.9 attempts per game. His 83 made threes led the WCC, and he was once again named First Team All-Conference and was on the All-WCC Tournament team after dropping 23 points on 5-7 shooting from three to defeat Gonzaga in the title game in Las Vegas.
Mahaney then hit the transfer portal and landed at UConn, hoping to help lead the Huskies to a third straight national title. Instead, Mahaney struggled to adjust to Hurley's system and the physicality of the Big East, ultimately playing just 12.4 minutes per game and averaging 4.5 points on 35.9% shooting from deep.
The California native returned home to play for UC Santa Barbara this past season, earning All-Big West First Team honors and averaging a career-high 14.9 points and 2.7 assists while shooting 38.5% from three for the Gauchos.
Instead of becoming an icon at SMC, where he very likely would have earned All-WCC honors in four straight years, Mahaney finished his career in relative obscurity - although the performance on the floor proved he still has plenty to provide as a scorer and shooter.
While he didn't get drafted, Mahaney did appear in four games in the NBA Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month, playing 15 total minutes and scoring four points on 2-3 shooting along with one rebound and one steal.
Dec 16, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Mary's Gaels guard Aidan Mahaney (20) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Mahaney has been outstanding at two things in his college career - hitting three-point shots and navigating pick-and-rolls. That alone makes him an obvious fit in Gonzaga's PnR-heavy system, especially with a current roster that is seriously lacking perimeter threats.
The 6'3 guard shot 37.6% from deep over the last four years, attempting exactly five threes per game. He made 74 threes as a freshman, 83 as a sophomore, and 75 as a senior at UCSB - compared to Gonzaga's leader last year, Saint-Supery, who made 48.
Mahaney also handled pick-and-roll situations extremely well in Bennett's system, getting downhill and applying significant rim pressure while also being willing to come off a screen, step back, and drill an open three.
Where Mahaney is not the perfect fit is as a facilitator. He was primarily tasked with scoring at SMC and UCSB, so the passing numbers never popped off the screen, with a career 2.1 assists per game.
However, the 6'3 guard was excellent at avoiding turnovers, averaging barely one per game, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him develop into a better facilitator in the right system - and if that is a role he wants to take on.
Mahaney also struggles defensively, particularly against bigger guards, and that could be an issue in the Pac-12 against players like Josiah Lake, Jase Butler, Sebastian Akins, and, of course, Mason Falslev at Utah State.
There's no doubt Dent is the premier option Gonzaga could land to replace Saint-Supery, but Mahaney has plenty of positives to offer coach Few's team as well - even if the fans might wince seeing him in a Zag uniform after so many battles against him the last four years.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Could Aidan Mahaney be Gonzaga's answer at point guard? .
