The 2025-26 UConn Huskies men's basketball backcourt got another major boost on Monday when the six-time national champions landed Dayton guard Malachi Smith via the transfer portal.

Smith joins Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. and returnee Solo Ball as the most experienced players in what should be one of the best backcourts in the country. The Huskies will also welcome freshman guards Darius Adams and Braylon Mullins, both McDonald's All-Americans.

Smith comes to Storrs after four seasons with the Flyers, though he played just one game in 2023-24 after suffering a torn meniscus seven minutes into the season. He returned in 2024-25 with a vengeance, scoring a career-best 10.4 points per game while dishing out 5.3 assists. He also shot 38 percent from three.

The rising fifth-year senior had nine points and two assists when Dayton took down UConn at the Maui Invitational in November.

Just days into the college basketball offseason, the Huskies are retooling a roster that largely underperformed this past season. The two-time-defending national champions entered the season with three-peat expectations but sputtered to an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their fifth-straight trip under Dan Hurley. UConn beat Oklahoma in the First Round and gave eventual champion Florida all it could handle in the Second Round before losing by two.

Malachi Smith and Silas Demary Jr. give UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley options

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Georgia Bulldogs guard Silas Demary Jr. (5) dribbles against Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) in the second half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Intrust Bank Arena.
Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

One of the Huskies' weaknesses in 2024-25 was the lack of a reliable point guard after senior Hassan Diarra. Diarra battled a knee injury down the stretch and Hurley needed to manage his minutes. When Diarra couldn't play, it forced Aidan Mahaney into the role, which did not suit him.

With Demary and Smith, UConn can have a point guard dynamic closer to what it enjoyed in 2023-24 with Diarra as the backup to Tristen Newton. While Hurley bemoaned the lack of size in the Huskies' backcourt this year, the team also lacked the ability to throw different looks at opponents. Newton was 6'5 and Diarra 6'2. Newton was able to see over the defense, commanding the half-court offense with a masterful touch. Diarra then came in behind him to be a defensive pest on one end and a player with a nose for the ball on the other.

Demary (6'5) and Smith (6'0) give the Huskies different looks as well, and will prevent Hurley from having to rely on a freshman to run the point in a pinch.

From here, UConn can turn its attention to the front court. The team is still awaiting an NBA Draft decision from forward Alex Karaban as it scours the portal for his potential replacement.