Note #022: Aday Mara (7'3" Playmaking Unicorn)
Michigan 7'3" center Aday Mara, who helped lead the Wolverines to the 2026 National Championship, is entering the 2026 NBA Draft.
Below are Mara's sophomore 2024-25 season (at UCLA), and junior 2025-26 season (at Michigan), per 40 metrics:
2024-25
19.6 PTS/40 MP, 12.3 TRB/40 MP, 4.9 BLK/40 MP, 3.2 AST/40 MP in 33 GP (13.1 MP/G)
2025-26
20.7 PTS/40 MP, 11.5 TRB/40 MP, 4.4 BLK/40 MP, 4.1 AST/40 MP in 40 GP (23.4 MP/G)
Let's start with his 2025-26 numbers: the combination of 4.4 BLK/40 MP and 4.1 AST/40 MP sticks out.
If we just filter by these two criteria, since 1947-48, only one other player in NCAA Division I men's basketball had a season with 4+ BLK/40 MP and 4+ AST 40/MP:
Oliver Miller (1990-91) - 4.8 BLK/40 MP, 4.4 AST/40 MP (38 GP, 24.5 MP/G)
Let's go deeper into Miller's 1990-91 season. In addition to the blocks and assists, he also produced 25.6 PTS/40 MP and 12.6 TRB/40 MP.
This campaign is the only individual season, since 1947-48, to meet Mara's sophomore (19.5+ PTS/40 MP, 12+ TRB/40 MP, 4.5+ BLK/40 MP, 3+ AST/40 MP) OR junior (20.5+ PTS/40 MP, 11.5+ TRB/40 MP, 4+ BLK/40 MP, 4+ AST/40 MP) season benchmarks (min. 30 GP).
Miller would play one more season at Arkansas after his junior year above; he was eventually selected 22nd overall in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Also of note, as a freshman at UCLA, Mara's per 40 metrics:
14.5 PTS/40 MP, 8.1 TRB/40 MP, 3.0 BLK/40 MP, 2.2 AST/40 MP in 28 GP (9.6 MP/G)
Only thirty-two other NCAA Division I men's players hit those benchmarks (14.5+ PTS/40 MP, 8+ TRB/40 MP, 3+ BLK/40 MP, 2+ AST/40 MP) in their freshman season (min. 28 GP).
In 2025-26, the two other NCAA Division I men's players besides Mara to average at least 12 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.5 BPG:
1. Flory Bidunga - 13.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.6 BPG
2. Kyle Evans - 12.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.3 BPG
Mara also shot 68.0% from 2 (on 291 2PA) + 66.8% from the floor overall (301 FGA).
Since 1974-75, here are the three NCAA Division I men's basketball players besides Mara in 2025-26, to shoot 66.5% or better on 300+ FGA + have at least 100 blocks in a single season:
1. Hakeem Olajuwon (1983-84) - 67.5 FG% (369 FGA), 207 BLK
2. Brandon Clarke (2018-19) - 68.7 FG% (374 FGA), 117 BLK
3. Oliver Miller (1990-91) - 70.4 FG% (361 FGA), 103 BLK
And the only other NCAA Division I men's player who shot at least 68% from 2-point range on 290+ 2PA and had 95+ assists in a single season besides Mara in 2025-26 and Miller in 1990-91 (70.7 2P% (358 2PA), 103 AST):
The No. 1 pick in the 1991 NBA Draft:
Larry Johnson (1990-91) - 69.8 2P% (417 2PA), 104 AST
Olajuwon has surfaced a few times: Note #002 on Flory Bidunga's historically-efficient sophomore year, and Note #011 on Oswin Erhunmwunse's own historic metrics.
Statistics via Sports Reference
Find this data refreshing? Support our next project!