UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Explains Why Aday Mara Only Played 3 Minutes Vs Gonzaga

This is both confusing and worrisome.

In UCLA's 69-65 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a few key data points stood out in the big picture.

Arguably the biggest one was 5-star recruit and starting center Aday Mara only playing 3 minutes all game. 

This was particularly puzzling given the Zags' reliance on forward Anton Watson, who had an unbelievable 30 points on 14/15 shooting. 

Mara being on the floor would've been a huge problem for Watson, as given his reliance on getting to the basket, Mara's elite rim protection would've altered a number of Watson's attempts. 

The catch is that Mara had 3 fouls in 3 minutes, which is of course a serious problem, and forces you to be on the bench for at least the rest of the first half. 

Interestingly, however, even as the game progressed, reached its late stages, and UCLA needed him out there, coach Mick Cronin went out of his way to keep him on the bench. 

Here's what Cronin had to say:

Mick Cronin on Aday Mara playing only three foul-plagued minutes: "Just trying to win the game. He’s got to get better–great kid, he’s got to get better."

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) November 23, 2023

Coach Cronin's comments are valid in that his minutes were incredibly foul-plagued, but as previously mentioned, at some point, having 3 fouls isn't a problem anymore,

If, for Cronin, that's with 5 minutes left, 10 minutes left, 12 minutes left, etc., having him out there is almost always a net positive, especially if the offense is shooting 35% from the field. 

Mara's troubling trend of performances, playing time, and involvement in the offense has begun to raise eyebrows. 

The 7-foot-3 Spaniard is yet to eclipse 24 minutes in a game, and his season-high in minutes occurred in their second game of the season, making his playing time in the past 3 games: 6 minutes, 15 minutes, 3 minutes, that much more alarming. 

Mara is producing less, and Cronin has seemingly set a high bar for Mara to be out on the court for extended periods of time. Let's see if the freshman can turn things around. 

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