The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535358
JUNE/JULY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 2025 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JOHN BORTON A day Mara wants more. He knows that at 7-foot- 3, he can reach much greater heights than 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in just over 13 min- utes per game. T h o s e n u m b e rs c a u s e d him to look around following UCLA's most recent basket- ball season. His eyes landed on a destination where a pair of 7-footers prospered greatly. Michigan and Danny May proved the biggest pull. "I had expectations when I came here that I didn't achieve," Mara told The Los Angeles Times. "Also, I think I felt like I was playing good, practicing good, practicing hard, putting in extra work. And until Wisconsin [in a ca- reer-best 22-point effort], I never had the opportunity to show that I was able to play. And once [head coach Mick Cronin] gave me the opportu- nity, I saw — not a lot, but I saw what I could do." May's work with Michi- gan big men such as Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf caught Mara's attention. Mara also got to see May in action up close, in the Wolverines' 94- 75 win at UCLA last January. Mara pro- duced 4 points and 1 rebound in eight minutes of play in that one and perhaps drew the Michigan coach's notice in the process. At that length, he's hard to miss. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, the big man out of Zaragoza, Spain, has plenty of time to develop. "I'm super excited to go to Michigan to try to show everyone that I can play at a good level, that I can keep getting bet- ter. I know it's a Big Ten team, so excited to play against UCLA," Mara said. "I'm really going to miss my teammates. They are good people, good players. I guess we're going to see each other again in Michigan." LA Times writer Ben Bolch spoke di- rectly with The Wolverine about Mara's production and potential, citing his obvious physical attributes and a de- veloping ability to use them to his best advantage. "He can do a lot on offense," Bolch said. "His best skill at UCLA was proba- bly his passing. He could find cutters for backdoor plays with the touch of a point guard and also continued to improve his ability to make jump hooks and power moves around the basket. "UCLA was a different team when it had Mara on the court because of his ability to impact games both ways — as a high-level passer out of the high post, excellent screener, lob threat and skilled shot-maker around the basket on offense and a shot-blocking menace whose greatest value on defense might have been his ability to alter shots or prevent them from be- ing taken." While the majority of Mara's shots came from five feet or fewer from the basket, Bolch in- sisted that's not all of which he's capable. " He o cca s i o n a l ly s h owe d a nice touch on his jump shot, something I think he could de- velop a lot more this season at Michigan," Bolch added. "He's far from a finished product, but his upside seems unlimited. Can he add a three- point shot? "What he needs more than anything to become a better defender and refine his already superior skills on offense are big minutes, and that's presum- ably what he's getting with this move." Next stop, Crisler Center. "I think that was one of the big attractions of a season in Ann Arbor — how May used his big men as a literal and figura- tive centerpiece, something that Mara would seem to crave," Bolch said. "He'll be in a fea- tured role as part of a system that plays to his strengths, something that seem- ingly everyone outside of Westwood is eager to see." ❏ Tall Order Aday Mara Injects 7-Footer Length Back Into The Lineup Mara By The Numbers • Mara shot 59 percent from the field last season (85 for 144) and ranked third in the Big Ten in blocks per game (1.6) and fourth in total blocks (53). He went 7-for-7 shooting in UCLA's 85-83 home win over Wisconsin on Jan. 21. • He recorded his first career double-double against USC on Jan. 27, posting 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks and 2 assists in UCLA's 82-76 victory. • The Spanish 7-footer shot 57.7 percent (41-for-71) from the free throw line last year, and did not attempt a three-pointer. • 247Sports rated him as the No. 40 overall prospect in the portal. — John Borton Sports Illustrated ranked Mara as the top center in the portal, and The Athletic rated his move to Michigan as one of five best transfer fits. PHOTO BY JAN KIM LIM/UCLA ATHLETICS