UCLA Basketball: Elite Freshman Center Reportedly Will Arrive On Campus Tonight

Your UCLA Bruins enjoyed a 10-day overseas trip to Spain during the month of August.

It was educational in a number of ways -- whether playing three games with a virtually brand new roster or simply taking in the sights as tourists in a culture-rich society such as Spain.

While the trip was a success, Mick Cronin and the Bruins were missing two big keys to their team this season. By big, we mean figuratively and literally.

Per Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times, the team was without two of its new big men for this upcoming season. 7'3" center Aday Mara and 6'9" forward Berke Buyuktuncel were both finishing up other commitments and thus didn't compete with the team in any of the three exhibition matches.

However, according to Bolch, both are expected to arrive on campus Tuesday evening. Bolch reports that it will be the first time either has ever visited UCLA officially.

2023 UCLA Recruiting Class (rankings per 247Sports)

Recruit Name	Hometown	National Ranking (per 247Sports)
C Aday Mara	Zaragoza, Spain	No. 15 (5-star)
SF/PF Berke Buyuktuncel	Bursa, Turkey	No. 36 (4-star)
SG/SF Ilane Fibleuil	Massy, France	No. 43 (4-star)
CG Sebastian Mack	Chicago, Illinois	No. 66 (4-star)
CG Jan Vide	Domzale, Slovenia	No. 68 (4-star)
SF/PF Brandon Williams	Queens, New York	No. 70 (4-star)
PF/C Devin Williams	Riverside, California	No. 81 (4-star)

As shown in the table above, 247Sports ranks Mara as the single-best best prospect in this year's incoming UCLA class.

Getting the Spanish big man enrolled and on campus was a massive deal for Cronin and his staff. These overseas recruitments are far from straightforward. A ton of proverbial hoops must be jumped through in order to secure these commitments.

As it pertains to Mara, the staff can immediately start ingratiating him into the culture of the team. UCLA's first exhibition game falls on Halloween versus Cal State Dominguez Hills. The first official game of the year occurs on November 6th versus Saint Francis (Pennsylvania).

Mara figures to be a heavy contender to start at center, should Cronin opt to play a big lineup. He could also very well play the sixth man role, akin to what Donovan Clingan provided the University of Connecticut a year ago.