In Reply to: Very true---for a guy his size, certainly not a dominant game* posted by traprh on January 27, 2026 at 21:51:48
I thought Mara played very well. To me, he isnft being asked to do too much, which makes me wonder how satisfied he really is with his role. Ifve always felt he left because he didnft believe he was given a fair opportunity to play. Ironically, at Michigan—and Ifll admit I havenft watched every game as closely as you and your wife—he doesnft seem to get many touches at all. It feels like he may have envisioned himself as the next Danny Wolf, but even compared to Goldin last year, he doesnft see the ball nearly as much. Most of his points seem to come off lobs or free throws.
Anyone whofs followed my posts knows how strongly I felt he was mismanaged last season. That said, at UCLA, when he was on the floor, he was a clear focal point of the offense. He touched the ball at the high post, got opportunities in the low post, and was involved as a passer. In the five or six Michigan games Ifve watched, I havenft seen that same level of involvement.
Still, when you look at last nightfs line—10 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 25 minutes—thatfs a really solid performance. He remains a force in the middle and does a lot to deter opponents from attacking the paint.
On the downside, his pick-and-roll defense didnft look great last night. His footwork wasnft as sharp as it was at UCLA, and it also looked to me like he asked out at one point, suggesting his stamina may still not be where his coaches would like it to be.
Sure, hefll likely be part of a championship-level team at Michigan, but I canft help but think he might have been better off at UCLA. The pace Cronin prefers and the way he was involved offensively may have suited him more.
But then again, who knows—maybe Cronin buries him on the bench again.