After winning his first national title on the back of a three-big lineup, it’s not a surprise that Dusty May has been after the top seven-footers in this year’s Transfer Portal cycle. Yaxel Lendeborg is out of eligibility, and the void he leaves won’t be easy to fill.
However, the big men that May has been after so far don’t necessarily look like a Lendeborg replacement. Flory Bidunga is a defensive anchor, not a shot-making floor spacer, and while his Kansas teammate, Bryson Tiller, can step out and knock down a three, he doesn’t have the guard skills that allowed Lendeborg to play at the three.
Add in a visit from 6-foot-7 wing Juke Harris, who would fit nicely alongside a backcourt of Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, and it starts to appear that May isn’t looking to Bidunga and Tiller to fill Lendeborg’s shoes; he needs them stepping into Aday Mara’s.
Michigan’s Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller interest could be telegraphing Mara’s NBA decision
Mara was undecided on his NBA future after Michigan’s run to the national championship, but his dominance against Arizona in the Final Four certainly bolstered his case to bolt with one year of eligibility still remaining. After wasting away at UCLA under Mick Cronin, the 7-foot-3 center from Zaragoza, Spain, was college basketball’s most intimidating rim protector last season, and a skilled enough passer to run offense through in the high post.
Lendeborg’s growth as a shooter and his comfort with the ball in his hands unlocked Michigan’s three-big lineup, but Mara’s passing was almost as important. He averaged 2.4 assists per game, and because he could be involved in actions on the perimeter, Morez Johnson Jr. was able to dominate from the dunker spot.
As an oversized big, Mara will undoubtedly get hunted on switches in the NBA. So, he won’t be a seamless fit at the next level. His swing skill will be the three-point shot, and after he went 3-10 from three this season, he has room to grow if he returns to college for another year.
Still, he may just want to capitalize on his breakout season and make the jump to the NBA now. Even in a loaded draft class, his skillset and size are so unique that he’d likely work his way into the first round.
In recent years, NIL payments have often helped convince fringe first-rounders to return to college, and considering Michigan’s list of targets, the Wolverines clearly have money to spend. Yet, that same list of targets seems to indicate that, at the very least, May is making his Aday Mara contingency plans.