The UConn men’s basketball team now has a veteran guard to succeed Hassan Diarra, bringing in former Georgia Bulldog Silas Demary Jr. from the transfer portal Thursday afternoon.
“The reason for coming here, just want to be the next great point guard,” he said on a Zoom call Thursday afternoon. “Like Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle and you look back even farther: Shabazz Napier, Kemba Walker. I want to be one of those names.”
Demary led Georgia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 and was one of the most underrated guards in the SEC, averaging 13.5 points per game.
“Silas is the type of big guard we love at UConn and we can’t wait to get him in the mix,” head coach Dan Hurley said in a press release. “He can score from all three levels, play-make and use his length to guard multiple positions. Silas comes from a great family and will fit our championship culture to a tee.”
Demary has trended in the right direction, averaging 19.2 points in the last five games (98th percentile nationally). He led the Bulldogs in scoring in seven games this season, including six of the final 10 games. He finished his time in Athens leading Georgia in assists (3.1) and steals (1.7).
“The light flickered on for Silas Demary in early February and only a handful of guards in the vicious SEC were playing better than him down the stretch,” 247Sports analyst Isaac Trotter wrote. “[He is] a tough cover because of his positional size and comfort operating with the rock in his hand. Demary made a major jump as a sniper, draining over 37% of his 3-pointers, which made his drives so much more impactful…He was a huge part of a Georgia defense that finished right outside the top-30 nationally.”
What fans will love is his ability to get to the free throw line, which seemed missing during the 2024-25 campaign. His free throw attempt rate (48.2%) ranked in the 89th percentile nationally. He drew five personal fouls per game in his final season at Georgia, ranking in the 99th percentile nationally.
He has already developed a great relationship with the coaching staff, especially associate head coach Kimani Young.
“When I first saw Coach Kimani Young, he was just like ‘Man, there goes my PG,’” Demary said. “Hearing him say that gave me a lot of confidence in myself, and it just made me feel secure with who I was, and secure with him, knowing that he’s going to be there for me, he’s going to be that guy.”
Connecticut lacked a big guard that could lead the way last season. That changes with Demary, standing at 6-feet 5-inches. That alone has given him comparisons to UConn legend Tristen Newton.
“I would definitely say it’s a fair comparison,” he said. “That was the mold [the coaching staff] was showing me.”
What the rising junior will have to clean up is his discipline. He averages 2.3 turnovers and 2.5 fouls per game, with each stat ranking in the 11th percentile nationally.
According to 247Sports, Demary ranked 7th out of all college basketball players who entered the transfer portal.
UConn hosted Demary for a visit on Tuesday after he spent Monday at St. John’s. It became clear that Connecticut was the favorite following the visit to Storrs, with Crystal Ball Predictions signaling the sophomore to commit to the Huskies.
Demary, with two years of eligibility left, will join Solo Ball in a potential starting backcourt that could rank among the best in the country.
Demary will be the headliner of a loaded incoming class, including three McDonald’s All-Americans.
“[The incoming freshmen] are coming into a program where they’re willing to work, be coached hard,” he said. “They’re going to come in ready to work.”
As of today, UConn will have five open scholarships to play with. Along with decisions from Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr. and Jayden Ross looming, expect a lot more news coming from the Basketball Capital of the World.
I didn’t see how much money other than the scholarship Demery is getting paid to go to Connecticut? Anyone know?