HARTFORD, Conn. — Tristen Newton didn’t appear to be a perfect fit at UConn right away, but by the time he left, the East Carolina transfer turned consensus All-American had built a resume that placed him among the Huskies’ all-time greats. His absence left a clear hole in the 2024-25 roster as the Huskies were unable to replace that production, size and consistency at the point guard spot.

Coach Dan Hurley and his staff may have filled that void for next season.

Silas Demary Jr., the former Georgia guard ranked as one of the best in the transfer portal, committed to UConn on Thursday.

At 6-foot-5, a former top-50 recruit coming out of high school, Demary fits just what the Huskies were lacking as their historic NCAA Tournament winning streak came to an end in the Round of 32 against No. 1 seed Florida, which is playing in the Final Four this weekend. Demary averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game during his sophomore season with the Bulldogs, shooting 39.6% from the field, 37.4% from beyond the arc and 80.4% from the free-throw line.

“Silas is the type of big guard we love at UConn and we can’t wait to get him in the mix,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said in a press release. “He can score from all three levels, playmake and use his length to guard multiple positions. Silas comes from a great family and will fit our championship culture to a tee.”

UConn hosted Demary on Tuesday, just a day after he was visiting with Rick Pitino at St. John’s. One of the most desired players in the portal, he reportedly chose the Huskies over Kentucky, BYU and a number of others.

Based on his highlights, the physical guard who can rebound, read defenses and problem-solve with his own shot creation has the potential to fit perfectly as the conductor for the Huskies’ complex offense, which ranked top 15 in the nation despite its inconsistencies this season.

Demary’s commitment is UConn’s first out of the portal this offseason, joining him with at least Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart and the four-man incoming freshman class, which is ranked third-best in the country. The Huskies lost four to the portal — guards Aidan Mahaney and Ahmad Nowell, along with Isaiah Abraham and Youssouf Singare — and freshman Liam McNeeley to the NBA draft, where he is projected to be a first-round pick. Announcements are yet to come from Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr. and Jayden Ross.

But the addition of Demary, who had four 20-point games from February on in the touted SEC, including a 21-point effort to beat Florida on Feb. 25, instantly positions the Huskies to have championship aspirations heading into the season.

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