A lot was revealed about the Bruins on Jan. 7.

While it was then-No. 24 Michigan who bulldozed then-No. 22 UCLA by 19 points – handing the Bruins their second consecutive conference defeat – Wolverine center Vladislav Goldin simultaneously positioned a spotlight on the Bruins’ greatest weakness: their height.

Not only did Goldin boast a career-high 36 points on a 72.2% shooting clip from the field, but he also collected seven of the Wolverines’ 35 rebounds. The 7-foot duo of Goldin and center Danny Wolf further exploited the Bruins’ undersized frontcourt and illustrated the need for a formidable big man.

[Related: Michigan utilizes height to tower over UCLA men’s basketball in 94-75 loss]

Enter sophomore center Aday Mara.

“I’m going to tell you how many times I look at the stat sheet after practice, and he (Aday Mara) is 10-for-12, he’s 8-for-9, he’s 12-for-14, and it’s to a point where the time is going to have that kind of game,” said coach Mick Cronin. “I commend Aday for having a great attitude and dealing with not playing in the last game (vs. Iowa on Jan. 17).”

Until the past two contests, Mara hadn’t played more than 20 minutes in a game through 1.5 years in Westwood. But now, Mara is on the precipice of a much more involved role under Cronin. Against No. 18 Wisconsin on Tuesday, Mara posted 22 points on a perfect 100% from the field along with five rebounds in just 22 minutes of action.

When an ankle injury three minutes into Friday’s game put junior forward Tyler Bilodeau on the bench for the rest of the contest, Cronin had to turn to Mara to replace the production from the team’s leading scorer. Mara managed his first-ever 30-minute affair, garnering 12 points, seven rebounds and five blocks while William Kyle III registered two blocks, including one in the dying embers of the game.

“I’m surprised I didn’t get tired that much, but I was feeling good. I knew that Tyler wasn’t going to be able to play … so I just tried to not make stupid fouls,” Mara said. “It feels good for me because I get confidence when I get into the game, but I’m just happy to help the team.”

Crucial minutes from Mara – and a third-straight standout performance – will be needed Monday night when UCLA men’s basketball (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten) takes on USC (12-7, 4-4) at the Galen Center. The Bruins will enter the crosstown rivalry on a three-game win streak while the Trojans have won three out of their last four.

“I said this to you when we were struggling – William Kyle and Aday are going to have to help us win,” Cronin told reporters Tuesday. “Eric (Dailey Jr.) and Tyler (Bilodeau) are good players, but we are too small to play with them all the time. We don’t rebound the ball the way we need to in the Big Ten with them playing all the minutes.”

Leading the Trojans’ frontcourt is forward tandem Saint Thomas and Terrance Williams II. The former averages 11 points and a team-leading six rebounds per game, while the latter is averaging 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Not only have the Bruins seen improvement from their production in the paint but also from their backcourt of sophomore Sebastian Mack and juniors Dylan Andrews and Skyy Clark – something Cronin has said needs to get better since their four-game losing streak in January.

[Related: Backcourt shines in UCLA men’s basketball’s win over Washington]

Clark has scored 12 points in each of his last three games and has shot at least 40% from the field and beyond the arc in the last three contests, yielding just two turnovers through the stretch. Similarly, Andrews has scored 31 points combined in the last three games after going 6-for-30 in six straight games while Mack scored a team-high 19 points in a victory against Wisconsin.

“It just shows whatever is going on in the game, we can get through it,” Andrews said. “No matter what happens. We could be down nine points, we could be down 10 points – unless that clock says zero, we can come back and win.”

The Bruins will tip off against the Trojans at 7 p.m.