2025-26 Player Power Rankings: Aday Mara

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Over the last few years, we’ve borrowed an idea from Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch to roll out our season preview player profiles in a power-ranking format. We’ll preview every player on the roster, ranking them by an arbitrary combination of ability, importance, and role.

We’re bringing the same thing back this season. I ranked each scholarship player (1 through 13) based on their expected impact on the 2025-26 season, and we’ll dive into each player in-depth as we near tip-off.

Next up, in the better late than never portion of this series, we have UCLA transfer Aday Mara.

Previously: No. 3 Morez Johnson Jr., No. 4 Elliot Cadeau, No. 5 Nimari Burnett, No. 6 Roddy Gayle Jr., No. 7 LJ Cason, No. 8 Trey McKenney, No. 9 Will Tschetter, No. 10 Winters Grady, No. 11 Oscar Goodman, No. 12 Malick Kordel and No. 13 Ricky Liburd 

No. 2: Aday Mara

#15 | 7-3, 255 pounds | Junior | Big

Aday Mara’s potential has been evident for years. The 7-foot-3 big man was a star for Spain at the FIBA youth levels and earned senior Liga ACB minutes with Casademont Zaragoza when he was just 17, averaging 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game at one of the highest levels of international basketball.

When he arrived at UCLA, he was supposed to be an instant-impact star. The type of player who dominates for a year and then heads off to the NBA Draft. Instead, he struggled to find a consistent role.

His sophomore year started with more of the same, and by mid-January, he was playing 9.4 minutes per game for UCLA, having played more than 15 minutes twice in 17 games. He scored 22 points in his next game at UCLA and finally cracked the rotation over the final 16 games, averaging 8.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game.

Mara produced when he was in the game; his rate stats were off the charts, and UCLA won when he played. The Bruins were 13-2 in games in which Mara played at least 14 minutes, and the overarching question was why Mara didn’t play more minutes. As is the case in modern college basketball, that question was answered by entering the transfer portal.

Now, Mara is in Ann Arbor as the 7-foot-3 anchor of one of the best frontcourts in college basketball. He’s flashed his potential, and Michigan will hope he can turn it into consistent production at the level people have envisioned for him since he was that 17-year-old making plays in the Liga ACB.