The first week of the NCAA March Madness has highlighted a number of players in their quest to make the leap to the NBA in the 2026 Draft. The ESPN network has made a selection of that group of NCAA Tournament Finalists, and the name of Spanish player Aday Mara (Michigan) is not missing.
The big names in March Madness ahead of the NBA Draft
Curiously, two of the leading candidates to be selected with the No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas), saw their teams suffer early exits.
Aday Mara has revitalized his reputation as a prospect after two years at UCLA and has demonstrated the combination of height (7-foot-3), passing instinct and touch in the paint (67% shooting from the field) that initially put him on the NBA’s radar
Among the future NBA stars are Cameron Boozer (Duke), Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Kingston Flemings (Houston) and Keaton Wagler (Illinois).
On defense, Aday Mara has been effective in preventing passage through the paint and blocking shots thanks to his imposing physique
Other players who have increased their value in the NCAA March Madness include Nate Ament (Tennessee), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Braylon Mullins (UConn), Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston), Brayden Burries (Arizona), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama), Bennett Stirtz (Iowa), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), Alex Karaban (UConn), Zuby Ejiofor (St. John’s), Alex Condon (Florida) and Allen Graves (Santa Clara).
This is how Aday Mara is viewed in the US and his prospects for the Draft: strengths and weaknesses of the Spanish center
Jeremy Woo summarized for ESPN the impact of Aday Mara, who has had a great season in Michigan, the NCAA March Madness.
Although Aday Mara is not known for his mobility and has obvious weaknesses, 7-foot players with Mara’s skill level, coordination and vision are not seen in every draft
“The Wolverines have relied on Aday Mara (20 years old and 2.21 m) and his unique skill set in the NCAA Final Tournament, and he has played his best basketball of the season down the stretch, averaging 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, three assists and 3.2 blocks over his last five games, including the Big Ten Tournament. Mara has revitalized his reputation as a prospect after two years at UCLA and has demonstrated the combination of height (2.21 m), passing instinct and paint accuracy (67% shooting from the field) that initially put him on the NBA radar. While his free throw percentage is low (54.5%), watching him shoot in warm-ups gives hope that he will develop a triple from the set position. On defense, he has been effective at preventing passage through the paint and blocking shots thanks to his imposing physique, which makes penetration difficult, although he does not have the speed to defend away from the hoop,” he said.
Regarding the weaknesses of the great Spanish basketball unicorn, it was highlighted that “although he is not known for his mobility and has obvious weaknesses, 7-foot players with Mara’s skill level, coordination and vision are not seen in every draft.”
“Since NBA teams tend to prioritize height on the court, Mara has a place if a team manages to enhance his strengths,” he said.
Jeremy Wood does not forget that Aday Mara still has to choose whether to enter the 2026 NBA Draft or stay another season in the NCAA: “Mara has eligibility remaining, but a good performance in the Michigan tournament could give him the opportunity to cement a spectacular comeback season.”