2026 Draft Profile - Aday Mara

Jeremy Woo - ESPN - March 11th: "His gigantic frame -- 7-foot-3 -- allows him to effectively wall off the paint, and he has real skill and playmaking feel to lean on offensively. Mara has a hard time covering ground at his size and will likely be limited to drop coverage. He lacks upper-body strength and struggles with ball security at times, too, but he's a unique player some teams will be willing to invest in, particularly if he can develop a functional 3-point shot."

Jonathan Wasserman - Bleacher Report - March 10th: "Aday Mara had some eye-opening moments during Michigan's heavily-scouted game against Duke, when he was able to showcase his passing, post touch and defensive paint presence. Those aspects of his game have been on display all season. Bad turnovers and dreadful free-throw shooting will turn teams off, but he's established himself as an enticing weapon for an NBA frontcourt as a 7'3" big who can facilitate, finish and protect the rim."

NBA Draft Room - March 6th: "Mara is a talented passer and skilled offensive player who has incredible size and a unique skill-set. Might struggle to guard at the NBA level and isn't a switchable big. Lacks quickness but has a major impact in the lane."

Sam Vecenie - The Athletic - March 2nd: "He's swatting nearly three attempts per game, contesting everything on the interior when he's set. Michigan uses his creativity and intelligence on offense well by having him sometimes initiate sets out high or on the wing as a passer, where he's elite at finding cutters from all sorts of fun looks."

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