“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.”

Aday Mara Gómez may be the most versatile big man in college basketball. The 7-foot-3 center from Spain plays for the Michigan Wolverines after previously suiting up for the UCLA Bruins.

Advertisement

In just the 2025-26 season, Mara became the third Division I player at his height to hit a three-pointer, and only the fourth to make multiple threes in a single game since the 2002-03 season. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, a rare combination of interior dominance and perimeter range at his size. During the 2026 Final Four, Mara had the best game of his college career, scoring 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting with nine rebounds and two blocks in a 91-73 win over Arizona.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Spain, often fighting tennis for No. 2 spot behind soccer. Mara was born and raised in Zaragoza, Spain, to two star athletes, including a national basketball star, his father, Javier. Both of his parents made the trip to Indianapolis to watch Aday play in the Final Four, and then the National Championship game on April 6. “Having them here is amazing because I can spend time with them now, and if we win it all, I can celebrate with them,” Aday told the Associated Press. “It’s special.”

Below, get to know Aday’s parents, Gely Gómez and Javier Mara.

Meet Aday’s mom, Gely Gómez:

At 6 foot, 3 inches, Geli (née Angélica in 1973) played as a middle-blocker on the Spanish women’s national volleyball team as well as several domestic club teams. She and Javier steered Aday toward basketball from a young age, reassuring him when his long limbs made him appear slower or less coordinated than smaller kids his age. “Your time will come,” they told him, a mantra he has carried with him ever since, he told the Detroit Free Press.

Advertisement

Now in his third season away from home, he told the AP that he connected to his family through video calls with his parents and grandparents, as well as regular check-ins with cousins over video games.

Meet Aday’s dad, Javier Mara:

Born in 1968, Francisco Javier Mara is a former professional basketball player who stands at 6-foot-7 and played for CB Zaragoza from 1986 to 1988. Aday has said he credits growing up in a sports-focused household with shaping his athleticism. “The biggest thing that helped me was playing a lot of beach volleyball because moving in the sand is very difficult,” Aday told the AP. “I also played a lot of other sports as a kid, like soccer, a little golf and some American football, just throwing the ball around and running routes with my dad.”

You Might Also Like