Mick Cronin evaluates how Aday Mara has adjusted to UCLA so far

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin recently broke down what he’s seen from freshman center Aday Mara and how he’s adjusted to college basketball so far.

Mara, an 18-year-old freshman from Spain, has plenty of room to grow and Cronin knows that. He also knows that it’s difficult at his age while emphasizing that he has the potential to do so.

“I think Aday is a wonderful kid that’s 18 and won’t turn 19 until after the season,” Mick 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.”

Aday Mara was a late commit to UCLA, announcing in August that he was going to be coming to the Bruins. This season, he’s averaging 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

“But his attitude is great,” Cronin added. “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.”

One problem that Aday Mara dealt with this season was his eligibility. That’s because  Basket Zaragoza, Mara’s Spanish club, decided that his decision to go to UCLA was actually a breach of contract. So, the team brought a lawsuit against him in a Spanish court for an exit fee of around $608,000.

UCLA and Mick Cronin went to bat for Aday Mara, though, and it clearly worked out, with him getting cleared to return to the court in early November.

Mick Cronin on UCLA’s loss to Villanova

UCLA recently dropped a game to Villanova. After the loss, Mick Cronin said that the Bruins aren’t tough enough right now.

“We had three plays that beat us. We walked away from a shooter twice, and we didn’t get a rebound on a missed free throw. With that being said, give them credit – always give the other team credit. They have a program with a lot of pride. They had an unbelievable crowd tonight, playing off-campus. They had all these people here after they lost a few in a row,” Cronin said.

“It’s impressive. Big credit to their fanbase for having the type of crowd they had. That’s what happened in those three plays. We’re just not tough enough right now. Our margin for error isn’t what it has been.”