Correlation does not always equal causation.

But for the Bruins, Aday Mara’s minutes and UCLA victories have come hand in hand.

“6-0 with 20 (minutes played),” said coach Mick Cronin.

Throughout those six contests, UCLA men’s basketball earned wins over then-No. 18 Wisconsin, Washington, USC, then-No. 16 Oregon, then-No. 9 Michigan State and Ohio State. And during that stretch, the sophomore center found his stride on offense.

Mara broke out with 11.5 points per game across this six-game stretch – well above his season average of 5.9 – with 23.8 minutes played in each affair.

It was not just his newly unleashed offensive firepower that earned him an uptick in playing time, it was the improvement of an oft-criticized aspect of his game – his defense.

“If you look analytically at our two-point defense when he’s in the game, it’s exponentially better,” Cronin said. “It’s not just blocked shots, it’s changed shots.”

Utilizing his 7-foot-3 frame, Mara has disrupted opposing offenses, vacuumed in 6.3 rebounds and swatted away 3.2 shots per outing over the same stretch. His presence not only drew the attention of opponents but that of UCLA fans who wanted to see Mara become a mainstay in the rotation.

His body, however, had a different plan.

A bout of norovirus limited Mara’s role in the Bruins’ lineup after playing the Spartans, with him seeing 11.3 minutes over the next four matchups before hosting the Buckeyes on Feb. 23.

Despite the illness and ensuing weight loss, Mara pressed on.

“The guy’s keeping tissues in his sock in practice, but you’re allowed to sub out and blow your nose. I turn around, and he keeps doing it,” Cronin said. “He’s blowing his nose and putting it in his sock, but that shows how much he’s come in his competitive nature.”

Mara’s freshman campaign was a largely forgettable one – for the team and for the former five-star recruit.

Ranked as the 15th-best recruit in his class, the Zaragoza, Spain, local averaged just 3.5 points in 9.5 minutes of action – never playing more than 15 minutes once conference contention began. But in 2025, Mara’s aggressiveness on the glass and presence around the rim has rewarded him with more opportunities on the floor.

However, just because the Bruins have happened to win with him on the floor doesn’t mean Cronin will force him into the lineup – much to the dismay of UCLA fans in Pauley Pavilion and online.

Against Purdue on Friday night, Mara struggled to contain the shiftier and speedier Trey Kaufman-Renn. The Boilermaker forward made quick work of Mara once he entered the game, and Cronin had seen enough.

Mara was relegated to the bench for much of the game, playing just six minutes as he and the rest of the team struggled to defend both Kaufman-Renn and guard Braden Smith, who finished with 29 and 23 points, respectively.

“It’s rarely going to come down to the Xs and Os,” said junior guard Skyy Clark. “It’s really going to come down to who’s the grittiest team, who wants it more, who’s going to box out and do all the little things.”

And against Northwestern on Monday night, the Bruins are due to encounter another lethal scorer.

Wildcat forward Nick Martinelli leads the Big Ten in points per game with 19.9 and has been in double figures in all but one game this season.

As the calendar has flipped to March, oscillating between wins and losses, something UCLA has done over the past six games, will not hang banners. But the Bruins know the game plan to get back in the win column – it’s just about executing it.

“Listen and fight,” said sophomore guard Sebastian Mack. “And come out there swinging,”