A major piece of Michigan basketball's 2025-26 national championship squad appears to be on the way out.
Center Aday Mara, one of the most unique and gifted big men in college basketball this past season, has decided to enter the name 2026 NBA Draft but keep his college eligibility, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't permitted to speak publicly.
The 7-foot 3, 255-pound big man out of Zaragoza, Spain just finished his third collegiate season and still has a year of eligibility remaining, but it seems as though he likely won't use it.
Fellow Michigan big man Morez Johnson Jr. also declared for the NBA Draft on Friday, April 24.
Members of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team gather for a group photo beneath the “NCAA Champions Men’s Basketball 2026” banner during a celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau reaches out to high-five fans as he walks in during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Wolverines player Yaxel Lendeborg speaks during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan head coach Dusty May smiles at the podium during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.A banner recognizing the Michigan Wolverines as NCAA men’s basketball national champions hangs inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Wolverines player Trey McKenney walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan head coach Dusty May stands at the podium as players look on during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, left, hugs head coach Dusty May during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, left, sits and laughs alongside head coach Dusty May and Yaxel Lendeborg during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Wolverines player Yaxel Lendeborg stands next to head coach Dusty May during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan head coach Dusty May reaches out to high-five fans as he walks in during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Wolverines player Yaxel Lendeborg walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.The scoreboard displays “National Champions” above the court inside Crisler Center during a celebration honoring the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.Fans gather at Crisler Center during a celebration honoring the Michigan Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel takes a photos with a couple of fans during a celebration honoring the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Wolverines player Morez Johnson Jr. walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan Wolverines player Nimari Burnett walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Michigan head coach Dusty May reaches out to high-five fans as he walks in during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.Members of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team stand next to a banner reading “NCAA Champions Men’s Basketball 2026” during a celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.A banner recognizing the Michigan Wolverines as NCAA men’s basketball national champions hangs inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.1 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMembers of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team gather for a group photo beneath the “NCAA Champions Men’s Basketball 2026” banner during a celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.1 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMembers of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team gather for a group photo beneath the “NCAA Champions Men’s Basketball 2026” banner during a celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.2 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan’s Elliot Cadeau reaches out to high-five fans as he walks in during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.3 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Wolverines player Yaxel Lendeborg speaks during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.4 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan head coach Dusty May smiles at the podium during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.5 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyA banner recognizing the Michigan Wolverines as NCAA men’s basketball national champions hangs inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.6 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Wolverines player Trey McKenney walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.7 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan head coach Dusty May stands at the podium as players look on during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.8 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan athletic director Warde Manuel, left, hugs head coach Dusty May during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.9 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan athletic director Warde Manuel, left, sits and laughs alongside head coach Dusty May and Yaxel Lendeborg during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.10 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Wolverines player Yaxel Lendeborg stands next to head coach Dusty May during a celebration honoring the team’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.11 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan head coach Dusty May reaches out to high-five fans as he walks in during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.12 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Wolverines player Yaxel Lendeborg walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.13 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyThe scoreboard displays “National Champions” above the court inside Crisler Center during a celebration honoring the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.14 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyFans gather at Crisler Center during a celebration honoring the Michigan Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.15 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel takes a photos with a couple of fans during a celebration honoring the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.16 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Wolverines player Morez Johnson Jr. walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.17 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan Wolverines player Nimari Burnett walks through the tunnel during a national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.18 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMichigan head coach Dusty May reaches out to high-five fans as he walks in during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.19 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyMembers of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team stand next to a banner reading “NCAA Champions Men’s Basketball 2026” during a celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, April 11, 2026.20 / 20Michigan basketball celebrates NCAA title with Crisler banner ceremonyA banner recognizing the Michigan Wolverines as NCAA men’s basketball national champions hangs inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026.The Wolverines landed a commitment from former Tennessee big man J.P. Estrella just days after winning the national title and on Friday, April 24, got a commitment from highly-touted former Cincinnati big man Moustapha Thiam.
Mara flourished in his lone season in Ann Arbor, a focal point of Michigan's best team in program history as he was named third-team All-Big Ten and the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game − his 104 swats marked a program record for U-M − and was the anchor for the top-ranked 2-point defense in the nation.
PORTAL NEWS: Michigan basketball lands Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam in portal
Mara was an elite finisher this past year, too, making 81% of shots at the rim which only fell to 72% on non-dunks.
"In a class that is light on obvious high-upside talent at center, Mara's unusual mix of skills, coupled with his huge frame, warrants more serious consideration from teams looking to address that position," writes ESPN's Jeremy Woo. "He's an excellent passer, skilled with the ball and shot 66.8% from the field, with the sheer size to be a deterrent defensively.
"It's a unique mix of traits that should, at the very least, help him succeed as a change-of-pace option in the NBA."
Woo has Mara listed as the No. 14 overall prospect in this draft, which would mean he's a lottery selection. It's quite the transformation after he spent two years at UCLA with minimal returns, scoring more than 16 points just once in 61 games, and averaging just 6.4 points and four rebounds in his more productive sophomore season.
It seemed likely that Mara, who turned 21 last week, would at least test the NBA draft waters after he had an excellent postseason, averaging 14.7 points and 5.7 boards. He also shot 78.6% from the free-throw line in the NCAA Tournament − he was trending up in that department for months, shooting 74% from the foul line (37-for-50) over the final 20 games of the season.
“It was funny, because in practice I was making all the free throws,” Mara said last month. "In practice, we always have to make a couple free throws to win the game, so it counts. [Dusty May] was telling me to shoot those free throws, and I was making those. I was just telling all the coaches I come to practice and I have, like, 80-90% and then I go to the games and they didn’t go in.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Aday Mara NBA Draft: Michigan big man declares, keeps his eligibility