In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, former UCLA center Aday Mara revealed why he decided to transfer to Michigan and play for Dusty May:
Coming off a Sweet Sixteen appearance, the Michigan Wolverines have big shoes to fill in the frontcourt (literally and figuratively) with Vlad Goldin out of eligibility and Danny Wolf entering the NBA Draft .
Head coach Dusty May went right to work, getting two big men in Illinois’ Morez Johnson Jr. and UCLA’s Aday Mara to transfer to Ann Arbor this offseason. Those two are expected to play big roles next season and beyond, with each having multiple years of eligibility.
There are so many reasons why players enter the transfer portal, and most players don’t ever truly open up on their reasons for going elsewhere. But in a recent interview with Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times , Mara opened up on his decision to transfer to Michigan.
Mara stressed that his decision to leave UCLA was his alone, even though he consulted with his parents once the season ended. At the end of the day, even though his heart was in Los Angeles, he needed to go somewhere new.
“I feel that I had to change, but I didn’t want to,” Mara said.
So why did he feel the need to transfer? Mara had high expectations for himself in UCLA that were not met. His playing time was oftentimes sporadic, with UCLA head coach Mick Cronin saying matchups, conditioning and illnesses factored into Mara not receiving consistent playing time. After a 22-point outburst against Wisconsin in January, Mara’s playing time increased and he averaged 16.8 minutes per game after that performance.
“I had expectations when I came here that I didn’t achieve,” Mara said. “Also, I think I felt like I was playing good, practicing good, practicing hard, you know, putting in extra work. And until Wisconsin, I never had the opportunity to show that I was able to play, you know? And once (Cronin) gave me the opportunity, I saw — not a lot, but I saw what I could do, so those are the two reasons.”
Mara also denied rumors swirling around L.A. that he demanded more NIL money in order to secure his return to the West Coast Big Ten squad, saying in part, “I feel like that’s crazy. For a player who is 20 years old asking a coach for not practicing or playing whenever he wants, I feel like that’s a crazy thing.”
Like many big men across the country — including incoming transfer Yaxel Lendeborg — Mara saw how well Goldin and Wolf played and improved their games last season, and he wanted that for himself. Mara also took note of the quick pace Michigan plays at, with the Wolverines often finding their big men in transition.
Danny Wolf in transition = a scary sight pic.twitter.com/dNsn1kSAOr
— Mohamed (@mcfdraft) February 22, 2025
“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 better, and I know it’s a Big Ten team, so excited to play against UCLA,” Mara said. “I’m really going to miss (my former teammates). They are good people, good players. I guess we’re going to see each other again in Michigan.”
Even though the 7-foot-3, 240-pound native of Zaragoza, Spain didn’t reach his full potential at UCLA, Mara will look to do just that in Ann Arbor.
“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 better. And I know it’s a Big Ten team, so (I’m) excited to play against UCLA,” Mara said.