After a long and painful wait, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) welcomed the next great big man.
On August 4th, Beijing time, the UCLA men’s basketball team officially announced that Aday Mara, a 7-3 (2m 21) center from Spain, had signed a contract with the Brown Bears, and he was widely predicted to be the lottery candidate in the 2024 NBA draft.
The day before the announcement, Mara posted a message on Instagram that he would leave the Spanish professional team Zaragoza to play in an American university, and said it was a difficult decision because he was leaving his hometown.
Mara’s decision has greatly improved the prospects of UCLA in the 2023-24 season. Earlier this summer, Mara turned 18 and he is still developing his skills. He is regarded as an excellent passer, who can jump shot from a middle distance or play with his back to the basket. In U18 European Championship this summer, he averaged 14 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 blocks per game, and shot 61.3%. Finally, Spain won the runner-up and lost to host Serbia.
The arrival of Mara will bring two top big men to UCLA. Adem Bona will stay in school for the second season, after his first season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury. Bona’s recovery is expected to last for several months. He is not expected to take part in the Bruins’ summer trip to Spain later this month, and Mara is unlikely to take part in his motherland trip unless he signs up before the start of the autumn game.
Mick Cronin, coach of UCLA, said in the statement that in the process of getting along with Mara, he and his family insisted on one thing. They hoped that Adai would get a good education and watch him grow up in UCLA. He was tall, skilled and had a deep understanding of basketball. He was also a humble young man with great parents, excellent talent and excellent professional ethics.