Aday Mara Explained

Aday Mara
Number:15
Position:Center
Height Ft:7
Height In:3
Weight Lbs:240
League:Big Ten Conference
Team:UCLA Bruins
Birth Date:2005 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Zaragoza, Spain
College:UCLA (2023–present)
Career Start:2021
Years1:2021–2023
Team1:Casademont Zaragoza
Years2:2021
Team2:CBP Huesca
Years3:2022
Team3:→Anagan Olivar
Highlights:

Aday Mara Gómez (born 7 April 2005) is a Spanish college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference.

Professional career

After Mara began to play basketball for Básket Lupus, he joined Zaragoza Basket's youth categories.[1] He was assigned in the lower tiers with Zaragoza's affiliated team Club Baloncesto El Olivar (EBA League). He made his debut in LEB Oro in the also affiliated team Levitec Huesca in a fixture against Tau Castelló in October 2021.[2] Mara made his debut with the first team of Casademont Zaragoza on 17 November 2021, age 16, in a Fiba Europe Cup fixture against Reggio Emilia, scoring two points.[3]

He played in the 2020–21 Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament and averaged 8.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks over four games.[4] [5]

Mara was loaned to CB Peñas Huesca of LEB Oro at the start of the 2021–2022 season due to a roster shortage at the club. He averaged 2.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks over six games. Mara was then assigned to Anagan Olivar of Liga EBA, the Spanish fourth division, where he averaged 10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game.[6]

Mara made his Liga ACB debut with Zaragoza on 16 October 2022,[7] [8] chipping in eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one block.[9]

Mara took part in the Basketball Without Borders camp during the 2023 NBA All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.[10]

College career

On 3 August 2023, UCLA announced Mara's signing.[11] Casademont Zaragoza had contested the termination of the contract between Mara and the club. Earlier, the club stated in a press release, that "contracts must be respected" and considered to "take the necessary measures to keep it that way".[12] The dispute led to potential NCAA eligibility issues for Mara, before he was cleared to play for UCLA three days before the start of the 2023–24 season.[13] [14]

National team career

Mara played for the Spain under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup.[15] He averaged 12.6 points, five rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as Spain made the final before losing to the United States.[16]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24| style="text-align:left;"| UCLA| 28 || 8 || 9.5 || .442 || .000 || .700 || 1.9 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 0.7 || 3.5

Personal life

Mara was born and lives in Zaragoza, Spain. His father, Francisco Javier Mara, played basketball professionally for CB Zaragoza from 1986 to 1988.[17] His mother Angélica "Geli" Gómez, played volleyball on the Spain women's national volleyball team.[18] [19] [20] [21] Mara's father and mother respectively stand at 201 cm and 190 cm.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aday Mara, cuando el límite es el cielo. Heraldo de Aragón. 23 November 2021. Chema M.. Bravo.
  2. Web site: Aday Mara, la torre de futuro del baloncesto español de 2,18 y 16 años, ilusiona en su brillante estreno en LEB Oro. Marca. 9 October 2021.
  3. Web site: Casademont Zaragoza-Reggio Emilia: El día que debutó Aday Mara. El Periódico de Aragón. Raquel. Machín. 17 November 2021.
  4. Web site: La NBA alucina con Aday Mara en el All Star: "Su límite es el cielo". Toni. Canyameras. Mundo Deportivo. 21 February 2023. 21 February 2023. Spanish.
  5. Web site: Aday Mara, la perla del baloncesto español, a la conquista de la NBA. 20 minutos. 10 February 2023. 21 February 2023. Spanish.
  6. Web site: Spain big man Mara passing his way to top prospect status. FIBA.basketball. 3 July 2022. 21 February 2023.
  7. Web site: Aday Mara, el gigante español de 2,20 que asombra al mundo del baloncesto. Guillermo. García. Relevo. 17 October 2022. 21 February 2023. Spanish.
  8. Web site: Aday Mara, el unicornio español. AS. 6 November 2022. José Ignacio. Pinilla.
  9. Web site: acb.com. 16 October 2022. Aday Mara, el gigante más joven de la historia de la Liga Endesa.
  10. Web site: La NBA se frota las manos con Aday Mara: “Muchos equipos le siguen”. Diario AS. 21 February 2023. 21 February 2023. Spanish.
  11. Web site: 3 August 2023 . UCLA Men's Basketball Signs Aday Mara . 14 August 2023 . UCLA . en.
  12. Web site: 2 August 2023 . Aday Mara, the Spanish giant that will play with UCLA in the NCAA . 14 August 2023 . Marca . en.
  13. Web site: UCLA still awaiting NCAA clearance on freshmen Aday Mara and Berke Buyuktuncel. Ben. Bolch. Los Angeles Times. 27 October 2023. 29 October 2023.
  14. Web site: UCLA star freshman Aday Mara cleared by NCAA for competition. Jeff. Borzello. ESPN.com. 3 November 2023. 6 November 2023.
  15. Web site: NBA grow excited about Spain's Aday Mara during the All-Star Weekend: The sky's the limit for him. Enrique. Corbella. MARCA. 21 February 2023. 21 February 2023.
  16. Web site: Cómo y dónde ver en TV el España-Francia de la Copa del Mundo FIBA sub 17 de Málaga. Málaga Hoy. 9 July 2022. 21 February 2023.
  17. Web site: All in the family at FIBA Basketball U17 World Cup 2022. FIBA.basketball. 9 July 2022. 21 February 2023.
  18. Web site: Aday Mara y Lucas Langarita pasan a ser jugadores de la primera plantilla del Casademont Zaragoza. Heraldo de Aragón. 28 October 2022. 21 February 2023.
  19. Web site: Aday Mara y Lucas Langarita: cuando el éxito va en los genes. El desmarque. 11 July 2022.
  20. Web site: Aday Mara. acb.com. 6 November 2022.
  21. Web site: Aday Mara, el unicornio español de 2,20 m., derriba la puerta con 17 años: debuta en la ACB haciendo historia. Marca. 17 October 2022. Enric. Corbella.