UCLA’s Mara cleared by NCAA for competitors

Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff WriterNov 3, 2023, 06:57 PM ET

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• Basketball recruiting insider.
• Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.UCLA star freshman Aday Mara was cleared for competition by the NCAA on Friday, the school announced.”UCLA Athletics, Aday Mara and his family would

  like to thank the NCAA, his attorney Stu Brown and UCLA Senior Partner Athletic Director Erin Adkins for their work and cooperation during this process, “head coach Mick Cronin said in a statement.A 7-foot-3 center from Spain, Mara is arguably the best international prospect getting in college basketball this season. He has consistently controlled on the global scene, averaging 14.0 points and 9.1 rebounds at the FIBA U18 European Championships last summertime and putting up 19.1 points and 12.6 rebounds for the Zaragoza U18 group at the Spain U18 club championships.Mara is a projected lottery game pick in ESPN’s latest 2024 mock draft and was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s worldwide freshman rankings.Mara is among 4 worldwide freshmen entering the UCLA program this spring, together with Berke Buyuktuncel, Jan Vide and Ilane Fibleuil.

  Buyuktuncel, a Turkey local who starred at last summertime’s FIBA U19 World Cup, is another prospective one-and-done NBA draft pick, however he’s still awaiting NCAA clearance.UCLA opens the 2023-24 season against St. Francis on Monday.