UCLA has an answer for one of its biggest problems taking up more space than anyone else on the bench.
He stands 7 feet 3, wears size-18 shoes and has a wingspan rivaling that of some regional jets.
His name is Aday Mara, and he’s probably going to have to play significantly more minutes for the Bruins to get where they want to go these next two months, let alone March.
During his 11 minutes against Nebraska on Saturday, the sophomore center made both of his shots, blocked two shots, snagged a steal and threw a perfect pass to Tyler Bilodeau for a dunk. Not shown in the box score were the shots that Mara altered or prevented from being taken, not to mention his supersized screens and the improved spacing for the offense whenever he was in the game.
Mara played nearly all of the game’s final eight and a half minutes. It was no coincidence that during that stretch the No. 15 Bruins nearly wiped out a 12-point deficit before falling to the Cornhuskers, 66-58, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who has acknowledged needing to play Mara more for at least a month, said the big man’s minutes were limited Saturday because of depth issues. Eric Dailey Jr. did not play because of an ongoing issue with a facial injury and William Kyle III was out after undergoing a recent undisclosed medical procedure.
Those absences left Mara and Bilodeau as the team’s only remaining big men. The Bruins were at their best when both were on the court together, a lineup that Cronin said he would like to have used more.
“It’s hard because you play them a lot together and they get tired at the same time, you’ve got nobody to put in,” Cronin said. “You’re playing Kobe [Johnson] at center, so Aday continues to improve. I’d love to play him a lot more and it’s coming.”
It can’t come soon enough given Mara’s potential to transform his team’s trajectory. Here are five takeaways from UCLA’s first loss in Big Ten play:
More Mara, please
Playing Mara additional minutes might not be optional in the Bruins’ next game.
Michigan features a pair of 7-foot starters in Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin, who will require UCLA to counter with size or risk getting mauled in the frontcourt.
Cronin has said he was hopeful that Dailey and Kyle could return for the game against the Wolverines, giving him the option to play Mara far more than his season average of 9.8 minutes per game. Their return will also allow Cronin to optimize his lineups.
Playing Mara alongside Bilodeau has the added benefit of allowing the latter to spend more time at his natural position, preventing the 6-foot-9 forward from wearing down because he has to exert so much energy defending bigger counterparts.
“I like playing with Aday,” Bilodeau said. “He’s a great passer, great inside, really long and can help a lot on defense around the rim, so it’s awesome.”
Who’s the point?
Dylan Andrews’ extended slump has left Cronin with another big decision.
Does he continue to let Andrews try to play his way back into form or let his point guard come off the bench to give another playmaker a larger role?
Skyy Clark has done a better job of running the offense in recent weeks but suffered several shots to the shoulder during the game against the Cornhuskers. If Clark is available against the Wolverines, he could be the primary point guard while Andrews plays fewer minutes as a defensive specialist who takes only a handful of shots while trying to rebuild his confidence.
Over his last three games, Andrews has more turnovers than assists while averaging 1.3 points.
“Dylan Andrews,” Cronin said, “got to play way better.”
Line them up
Moving Andrews to the bench would give Cronin some interesting options for his starting lineup, assuming everyone was available.
One idea would be to go with Clark, Johnson, Dailey, Bilodeau and Mara. That lineup leaves plenty of quality replacements while providing Cronin with the flexibility to play Bilodeau some at the five spot so that Mara and Kyle don’t need to combine for 40 minutes.
After assessing which lineups are working best, Cronin could go with a mix of reserves and starters to close games. The Bruins’ depth has kept every player reasonably fresh, no one averaging more than Bilodeau’s 27.3 minutes per game.
Boosters needed
Reserves Dominick Harris and Trent Perry couldn’t provide a needed boost to their shorthanded team Saturday, combining to go scoreless with three turnovers.
They can only hope their coach’s trust in them continues when the Bruins get back to full strength.
His five quality minutes against Gonzaga notwithstanding, Perry has struggled since the start of December. He’s looked rattled in spot minutes against quality teams while also routinely getting beaten on defense, though it’s important to remember he’s just a freshman going through all this for the first time.
Harris is a redshirt senior who has not been able to find any sort of rhythm. After ranking No. 3 in the nation last season by making 44.8% of his three-pointers at Loyola Marymount, Harris has made just two of 18 shots (11.1%) from long range in his first season with the Bruins.
Home cooking?
Many UCLA fans received a robocall from Cronin last week, imploring them to come to the Michigan game at Pauley Pavilion to support the team.
The Bruins need the attendance boost given they are averaging just 4,830 fans for home games. Only USC, averaging 4,163, has had smaller home crowds among Big Ten teams.
If UCLA wants to contend for a conference title during its first Big Ten season, it’s going to need to win nearly every home game after learning just how hard it is to win on the road.