A year after transferring away from the UCLA Bruins, center Aday Mara finds himself as a national champion, as the winner of the Big Ten Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, and next Mara might become a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Mara might not be considered for the top picks in the draft but he’s still a can’t miss draft prospect. Mara’s 7’3” height without shoes puts him in rare territory, giving him a high floor as a prospect, as his defensive impact is a sure thing.
We saw his defensive talent on display this year with the Michigan Wolverines, with Mara posting a career-best 2.6 blocks per game. The UCLA transfer scored 12.1 points per game and grabbed 6.8 rebounds, with the Wolverines maximizing Mara’s potential.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has Mara going in the first half of the first round in next month’s draft, with Vecenie predicting Mara heading to the Golden State Warriors with the No. 11 overall pick. It’d be an intriguing landing spot for Mara, with the biggest prospect in this year’s draft being paired with the best long-range threat in NBA history, Stephen Curry.
“Mara, by far, helped himself the most in the NCAA Tournament. I had a vote for Final Four Most Outstanding Player and chose Mara because of how he dominated the semifinal against Arizona,” Vecenie wrote. “He completely changed the geometry defensively against Connecticut with his ability to guard Tarris Reed Jr. on an island while also shutting down the interior for drivers.”
Mara’s defensive potential is apparent but he’s also a skilled passer for a player of his size, making him an extra good fit for Steve Kerr’s motion offense with the Warriors. After two quiet seasons under Mick Cronin in Westwood, Mara climbed up draft boards with an impressive showing this year in Ann Arbor.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Former UCLA center Aday Mara mocked to the Golden State Warriors
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
