Mick Cronin describes the improvement he's seen from Aday Mara

Aday Mara gets better every day. After UCLA’s 61-60 win over California on Saturday, Bruins head coach Mick Cronin praised his freshman center’s growth on the court.

“He keeps getting better,” Cronin said. “He threw a great pass to Brandon [Williams] for a layup. He got stuck with a tough late clock. He had to take a hard hook shot. But, he just continues to get better.

“As his strength and conditioning continue to improve, he will improve. He needs a real offseason of strength and conditioning the way we do it to build up his body and his stamina.”

Mara tallied six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes against California while shooting 3-6 from the field. Mara is averaging 3.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 11.0 minutes per game per game this season.

Mara had a complicated path to the court. He was not cleared for competition this season until three days before UCLA’s regular-season opener. Mara’s battle to receive eligibility was riddled with obstacles.

Basket Zaragoza, Mara’s Spanish club team, claimed his decision to join UCLA was a breach of contract. The team sued Mara in a Spanish court for breach of contract, seeking roughly $608,000 as an exit fee.

Nonetheless, UCLA fought for Mara. Obviously, its punches landed. Head coach Mick Cronin was thrilled to add Mara to the team.

“We are excited to announce the addition of Aday to UCLA,” Cronin said in August. “Throughout this process with Aday, he and his family have stood firm on one thing – that they want a great education for Aday, and to see him grow as a young man at UCLA. He has tremendous size and skill and has developed a great understanding of the game of basketball.

“He’s a humble young man with great parents, and he’s blessed to stand at 7-foot-3 with such talent and a strong work ethic. Aday has great FIBA experience, having played within the Spanish basketball federation program while winning awards and championships at different levels. We can’t wait to have him here with us in Westwood.”

Mick Cronin raves about Aday Mara’s potential

While Mara hasn’t necessarily been a standout for UCLA, he boasts massive potential. In December, Cronin addressed Mara’s limitless upside.

“I think Aday is a wonderful kid that’s 18 and won’t turn 19 until after the season,” Cronin said. “In the United States, kids redshirt in the eighth grade and multiple freshmen are 19 and 20. We have four 18 year olds. So, it’s a huge adjustment for him, the style, the physicality of college basketball.

“He’s getting better. He’s fighting through it and he’s got a huge ceiling. He has a chance to be a great player. These games, these are wars that it’s all new for him.”