Aday Mara declares for NBA draft but retains college eligibility

Friday marked the day that college basketball players had to make their NBA draft decisions, but unlike in football, there's a path to return if they so choose. Though all eyes were on Michigan basketball forward Morez Johnson Jr. (who ended up declaring while maintaining his college eligibility), the expectations for center Aday Mara were essentially that he's gone.

And while that may likely still be the case, the door will remain open, it seems.

Mara is thought to be a potential lottery pick, as the 7-foot-3 Big Ten defensive player of the year was pivotal to the Wolverines' success in winning a national championship. While he did declare for the NBA draft, he surprisingly kept his eligibility, leaving a very slim possibility that he could return.

Mara went from a role player at UCLA the past two years to a household name in college basketball under head coach Dusty May. He averaged 12.1 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Though most big men in the frontcourt aren't known for their prowess passing the ball, Mara (though he had some moments where he turned the ball over often) was creative and savvy with his ability to find open teammates when the option wasn't there for him. And just as often, he was deployed as a presence down low, able to score on easy alley oops when getting ahead of the defense.

With Mara declaring, the Wolverines do appear to have his replacement, having secured a commitment from 7-foot-2 Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Aday Mara's NBA draft decision leaves door open