Michigan lands 7-footer Aday Mara out of the transfer portal
The Michigan Wolverines have landed their fourth commitment of the NCAA transfer portal cycle in former UCLA center Aday Mara, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. He comes to Ann Arbor with two remaining seasons of eligibility.
Mara fills a major need for Michigan during this portal cycle as it reshapes its frontcourt with the loss of Vladislav Goldin and likely departure of Danny Wolf to the NBA Draft. Standing at 7-3, Mara is considered a player who still has his best basketball ahead of him after spending much of the last two years as a reserve. He was also considering entering the draft.
“NEWS: UCLA’s Aday Mara will enter the transfer portal, a source told ESPN. The 7-foot-3, 19-year-old Spanish center had a breakout sophomore season and will be one of the most coveted big men in the portal,” Givony tweeted on April 1 after he entered the portal. “TBD on testing NBA draft waters.”
Mara spent the last two years at UCLA and was the team’s tallest player in over 30 years after coming to the United States from Spain. Mara averaged 5.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 61 appearances over the last two seasons. This year, he averaged 6.4 points – shooting 59% from the floor – with 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 assists per game in 33 contests this past season. He was first in blocks on the team, second in field-goal percentage and third on the team in rebounds.
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On3 was the only site to rate Mara during his recruitment, tabbing him a four-star recruit and the No. 21 prospect nationally and third-ranked center in the 2023 class. He played internationally in Spain, competing for Basket Zaragoza and attended IES El Picarral in Zaragoza. He was also a member of the Spain national team for FIBA in the U17 World Cup, U18 World Championships and U18 European Championships.
Mara is the fourth member of Michigan’s transfer portal class, joining No. 1 overall player Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), forward/center Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) and point guard Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina). Lendeborg committed on April 5, but is still expected to go through the NBA Draft process and is seeking a guaranteed contract.
