Aday Mara goes the distance in dominant performance against Wake Forest

Through the exhibition games and the first game of the season against Oakland, junior center Aday Mara has shown glimpses of what his potential could be. Mara is a gigantic defender with the offensive skill and size to catch and finish, and the vision to see the entire floor.

Against undersized Wake Forest, Mara was precisely what he needed to be if the No. 6 Michigan men’s basketball team wanted to win. He put together the best parts of his game in an all-around dominant performance to help the Wolverines scrape away with a non-conference overtime win.

“In the exhibition and the first game, he struggled guarding on the perimeter,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “The opposition’s bigs had their way with us. … And even in practice, he struggled in that regard, and the staff has challenged him. And I thought he did an A-plus job contesting threes. He blocked a couple of them. He defended the drives. He’s quick, he’s got some game, and so he cut them off. He used his size and length and challenged the shots.”

Mara finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. The most notable of all his stats, though, was his five blocks. Mara was the difference-maker on defense throughout the game by posing a threat to anyone who entered the paint — and even showing he could guard the perimeter, as May explained. 

“(Mara’s) rim protection was probably the difference in the game,” May said. “We forced a team that doesn’t want to shoot a lot of floaters and tough middies into floaters and tough middies because of our ability to sit down and defend on the perimeter.”

Mara consistently turned potential layups and drives into more difficult shots like floaters and pull-ups, or prevented a shot attempt entirely with his size. When Mara was on the floor, Wake Forest shot 35 percent at the rim; when he was on the bench, the Demon Deacons shot 50%.

Mara had two late-game blocks and altered Nate Calmese’s potential game-winning attempt in overtime. The Wolverines won their minutes with Mara on the floor by an impressive 17 points.