Michigan center Uday Mara is 7’3″ shot blocking extraordinaire, and as of tonight, he’s a national champion. Mara helped the Michigan Wolverines to their first national championship since 1989. UM also snapped their national title game losing streak at four while ending the Big Ten’s natty drought of 26 years.
A Spaniard in the mold of Pau Gasol, Mara was draped in his home country’s flag during the national championship celebration on the court at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.
(Although Michigan’s “Shock the World” signs will definitley dumb you down! They were a #1 seed, favored by 7.5 in the national title game, and the overall favorites to win it all from the sweet 16 onward. Nothing shocking about it…but still more likable than Dan Hurley)
Asked about Gasol this March Madness, Aday Mara (who was included in this year’s One Shining Moment), responded: “we do have a relationship, we’ve talked a couple times, he’s a really good person.”
Questioned abot what he takes from Gasol’s game, he answered: “almost everything- he was a really good player, and I’m always trying to learn.”
Like everyone else of importance on Michigan’s roster, Mara transferred in from somewhere else, and in his case, it’s UCLA. Mara is considered a solid middle-of-the-first-round NBA Draft prospect.
Imagine how high his stock would be if he could consistently shoot threes.
“I know I don’t shoot a lot of them,” he said after draining one in the Midwest Regional rout of Tennessee.
“But when I shoot the three, I got to take more time. Sometimes I’m rushing, but I’m noticing in my game, my confidence and if I get the chance I’ll shoot it again.”
The bigs are a big reason (sorry for the obvious pun there) reason why Michigan won it all. Illini transfer Morez Johnson and UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg were dominant, and coalesced well with Mara, who explained why:
“Unselfishness, we play for each other.
“We try to move the ball, do different things, today was me,” he said after a win in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals over Ohio State. “Maybe tomorrow will Morez, next day is going to be someone else.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.