UCLA Basketball: Expert Poses Intriguing Questions for New Bruins International Stud

Will he be able to live up to the hype?

Your UCLA men's basketball team has finally marked off most of the boxes on their 2023 offseason to-do list after the likes of Aday Mara and Berke Buyuktuncel officially signed with the university for their freshman seasons and the Bruins' roster appears ready to roll.

Everybody will be tuning to see how head coach Mick Cronin is able to bring the best out of these two international prospects, both of whom already have nice NBA Draft stock heading into next year. Mara, in particular, has already been compared to some great big men that have stamped their names in the league and when you see how he impacts the game on both ends while standing at 7'3, there's a lot to love.

However, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie revealed his latest 2024 mock draft and after placing Mara at just number 15, he explained a number of questions that he has for the incoming freshman.

"The questions with Mara are the same as they are for every super giant. Can he defend in space? Can he hold up when strung out by better ballhandlers? What will his game look like in the NBA?"

(Via The Athletic)

Whenever Mara faces elite centers down low and has to switch onto quicker guards and wings, we'll be able to see how he adapts to different matchups.

Vecenie also assured that he thinks he'll be able to get comfortable at the next level.

"But Mara’s skill level is higher than that of most guys with this much size. I think Clingan’s defense is ultimately more translatable, which is why I have him higher for now. But I’m fascinated to see what Mara looks like this upcoming season at UCLA."

(Via The Athletic)

Cronin will have a lot of talent to experiment with this season but one thing is for certain, Mara and Adem Bona will be a match made in heaven!