Former UCLA Center Aday Mara Transfers to Michigan for Larger Role Under Dusty May

According to multiple reports, former UCLA center Aday Mara will stay in the Big Ten and play for Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines.

The 7’3″ center left Westwood for a larger role — and with Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin hoping to play in the NBA next year — Mara may walk into a starting spot alongside fellow transfer Yaxel Lendeborg.

There’s a lot to like about Mara’s game. He’s an excellent passer of the basketball for a man his size. His feel for the game is off the charts, and he can finish in the paint with both hands quite well. Mara’s block rate was one of the best in college basketball this past year. In only 13.1 MPG, he averaged 1.6 BPG.

His fit with Mick Cronin was not a good one. Despite being a very good defensive player, Mara’s lack of strength and conditioning often limited his time on the floor. Even then, Cronin seemingly preferred smaller bigs that would be able to hedge and switch accordingly.

From an offensive standpoint, Mara appeared to be criminally underutilized. We saw glimpses of a guy who could be not only a dominant college player but also a potential first-round pick.

At Michigan, he’ll be walking into a situation where the program has a proven track record in developing bigs. Even more so, one that should cater far better to Mara’s skill set.

If Lendeborg does stay in the NBA Draft, pairing Mara next to the uber-athletic Morez Johnson would conventionally be a very good duo accounting for one another’s weaknesses while accentuating their respective strengths as players.