In Reply to: Watched Michigan, to watch Mara posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on November 25, 2025 at 13:01:33
All we can do is try and observe what we see from our collective distant vantage point and guess (educated or not).
What I saw was Cronin not completely comfortable with Mara. I saw Mara improving - slowly at first, then more rapidly. I think if Mara had stayed he would have improved tremendously - especially on defense. I believe if he had stayed he would be starting and getting a lot more minutes. If he had stayed Booker wouldn't be on the team. Maybe Kyle would have still left and maybe Jamerson would have still come - maybe Peoples too.
If I'm correct about Cronin's discomfort, I'm not sure he would have ever gotten comfortable with Mara. If that's so then I think Mara was correct in leaving. Cronin strikes me as a coach where change does not come easily for him.
I also think Mara will probably not ever be the defensive player we would have become if he had stayed with Cronin, but that's not to say he still won't improve defensively.
I believe Mara is a game changer - he affects every aspect of the game when he's on the floor. I believe a player like that doesn't come around often. If one is coaching someone like that I believe it's prudent to design your schemes with that player in mind. I could see Cronin bending to that a bit, but I could also see his reluctance or recalcitrance to that notion.
I think Cronin moved too slowly to incorporate his system to Mara's skills and talents. And I see Mara's impatience with the process of Cronin building himself back up in the Cronin model. It's not a new story nor a rare one. As a UCLA fan I'm sorry how things worked out and maybe Booker will ultimately end up being a very effective Cronin type center.