Former Bruin Reveals Why He Left UCLA

Sometimes the decisions that are best for you are the hardest ones to make.

In two seasons at Westwood, Aday Mara didn’t accomplish what he was hoping to. The 7-foot-3 center had all the potential in the world to be great, but in the end, his tenure at UCLA fell short of what his expectations were.

Because of that, when given the opportunity, Mara entered the transfer portal and signed on with the University of Michigan, a program that surprised most last season.

But Mara didn’t leave because he didn’t want to stay. He just felt that the chapter in blue and gold had reached its maximum.

“I feel that I had to change, but I didn’t want to,” Mara told the Los Angeles Times. “I had expectations when I came here that I didn’t achieve. 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 (coach Mick Cronin) gave me the opportunity, I saw — not a lot, but I saw what I could do, so those are the two reasons.”

Mara isn’t exactly in the wrong here. Some coaches know what they have in players, but it may just be a case of the “wrong place, wrong time.”

Look at now-Bruin Xavier Booker.

The former five-star recruit spent two seasons at Michigan State playing for a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo. But ultimately, Booker never got the opportunity he needed to show out, and UCLA believed it could improve his usage.

We don’t know what Mara could do if given the chance, because he was mainly a role player, like Booker, and had only started nine times in 61 games. Not only that, but he only averaged 11.5 minutes per game in those contests.

Mara’s game offers extremely intriguing possibilities for the Wolverines.

After losing Danny Wolf to the NBA and Vlad Goldin to graduation, it put Michigan coach Dusty May in scramble mode. And once the 7-foot-3 mammoth Mara was made available, May knew he had to jump on the opportunity.

Mara recalled his conversations with May and knew there was a chance he’d finally get the minutes he felt he deserved.

"Well, after I transferred, when I got to the transfer portal, I just talked with coach and he told me about the style of game, the way he used the big man. Also, I was looking for opportunity. You know, I didn’t get the opportunity these last two years. So, I think that will be the key of being here."

It was clear that Mara valued his time in Westwood and hoped it could work out. But after Booker came on board, it essentially kept Mara where he didn’t want to be: the bench.

The college basketball schedule has yet to come out, but make sure to circle the games where the Bruins square off against the Wolverines.

We may see a whole new side of Aday Mara.