Note #022: Aday Mara (7'3" Playmaking Unicorn)
Michigan 7'3" center Aday Mara captured a 2026 National Championship with the Wolverines, then headed for the NBA, where he was selected 12th overall in the 2026 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
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