LOS ANGELES — It was just four nights earlier when UCLA head coach Mick Cronin decided against bringing center Aday Mara off the bench in a 24-point home victory over Iowa at Pauley Pavilion.

In the upper deck that night, a group of fans started a chant that got louder throughout the game: “We want Mara!”

Truth be told, he was not needed, as fellow backup big man William Kyle III was effective enough to keep the season-long platoon going between the two players.

Mara, though, has remained patient, and after a career-high 22 points Tuesday in an 85-83 win over 18th-ranked Wisconsin it may be time for Cronin to ditch the idea of ever going another game without using the 7-foot-3 Spaniard who once again had the rafters chanting his name.

“I just try to show up in practice, try to play as hard as you can,” Mara said in his first interview as a member of the Bruins since joining the program prior to the 2023-24 season.

So, if there’s a game or two Cronin decides to keep him on the bench, Mara added that he makes sure to show up to practice with a positive attitude and not let it affect his on-court work.