Sixty-eight teams entered, and only four remain. The Final Four portion of March Madness has arrived, and the players on the remaining teams have had plenty of opportunity to show off their skill sets to the draft community. All of Illinois, UConn, Michigan, and Arizona have legitimate draft prospects on their roster, and advancing so far in the NCAA Tournament has only helped their draft stocks. A championship run would do even more. So, who are the best 2026 NBA Draft prospects playing in the Final Four?
10. C Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
Tomislav Ivisic is a part of Illinois' “Balkan Boys” core. He is one of many Europeans on the team, and his twin brother Zvonimir is also on the roster. Both brothers are huge, but Tomislav is the better prospect of the two. That is because Tomislav has some legitimate outside shooting touch, which is a rarity for a 7-foot-2 big man.
Ivisic isn't the most mobile center, but having a jumper should be enough to warrant second-round consideration. Even Zvonimir will be on certain teams' draft boards, too.
9. F Alex Karaban, UConn
Alex Karaban has the makings of someone who will just stick around the NBA for a long time as a role player. There is a reason UConn has already won two championships with him on the roster, and they are now looking for a third national title during his tenure. Not only is he a great spot-up shooter, but he also serves as the Huskies' glue guy.
Karaban has a high IQ and always makes the right play. That was evidenced in UConn's recent comeback victory over Duke. Karaban had a chance to shoot a tough shot to take the lead right before the buzzer, but instead, he made an unselfish play and swung the ball to a teammate for a better look. UConn is in the Final Four yet again because of it.
8. F/C Tarris Reed Jr., UConn
Tarris Reed was one of the prospects with the most to gain during the NCAA Tournament. UConn has gone on a number of deep runs that have resulted in the draft stock of their players getting boosted in recent years. Championship runs led to Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Jordan Hawkins, Tristen Newton, Andre Jackson, and Cam Spencer receiving more draft hype, for example, and now the Huskies are looking to win their third championship in four years.
So far, Reed has done nothing but help his draft stock. While the Huskies struggled to shoot the basketball in the first half of their Elite Eight game against Duke, their center single-handedly kept them afloat. He was the go-to option on offense and was able to impose his will in the painted area despite going up against future first-round bigs, such as Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba.
Reed has actually been on a scoring tear all tournament, as he has 87 total March Madness points, which includes a 31-point explosion against Furman. He added 27 rebounds in that game, which put him on a list with just Bill Walton, one of the greatest college basketball players ever, as players with a 30-20 NCAA Tournament game on 80% shooting. Despite this offensive production as of recent, rim protection is still Reed's calling card. The improvement on offense when the lights have been the brightest, combined with yet another deep UConn tournament run, should be enough to ensure Reed hears his name called on draft night.
7. F/C Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
While the aforementioned players might end up as second-round picks, the top seven prospects still alive in March Madness all have a great chance of being selected in the first round. Three of these players suit up for Michigan, so it should come as no surprise as to why the Wolverines are playing in the Final Four.
Some have Morez Johnson as the best of the bunch, but he ranks lower than his teammates here. Johnson plays with a constant motor. He is a play finisher who can finish lobs and putbacks, and he also plays with constant energy on defense. Michigan's roster is huge. Johnson has shown the ability to dominate inside despite the lane oftentimes being more clogged up than it usually will be in the more spaced-out NBA game.
6. C Aday Mara, Michigan
Although Johnson can play the center position, Aday Mara is Michigan's primary five-man. Mara is huge, even for NBA standards. The Spanish hooper stands 7-foot-3, which gives him the ability to alter shots at the rim. Mara averages 2.6 blocks per game, good for the fourth-best mark in Division I.
He actually hasn't rebounded as effectively as Johnson and Yaxel Lendeborg this season, but he is no slouch on the glass, either. Offensively, Mara has some impressive feel for the game, evidenced by his passing ability and his comfortability operating with the ball in his hands around the high post.
5. F/C Yaxel Lendborg, Michigan
Yet another Michigan star, Yaxel Lendeborg, is a sixth-year player who will be ready to contribute at the NBA level right away. Rarely do teams invest premier draft capital in such an old prospect, but Lendeborg has gotten better during each season of his collegiate career.
His improved 3-point shot, in particular, has really raised his NBA ceiling. Lendeborg is shooting 4.4 deep shots per game and making them at a 37.4% clip, which is up from 35.7% on 1.9 attempts during his last season at UAB. A championship run would grow his draft stock even taller. Lendeborg really is a jack-of-all-trades, and his versatility points to him being an NBA player for a long time.
4. PF/C Koa Peat, Arizona
Koat Peat is one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft class. On the one hand, his skill set is a little bit old school, which has led many to question if he can translate to the next level. Peat is somewhat of a tweener, and the lack of a 3-point shot is worrisome to some. On the other hand, Peat has arguably been the best player on a number-one-seeded Arizona team playing in the Final Four as a freshman.
Peat combines soft touch with brute strength, and he should be able to find a role at the next level. Team fit may matter more with him than a lot of the other prospects receiving lottery consideration, but Peat deserves to be viewed as a premier draft prospect.
3. G Brayden Burries, Arizona
Burries is the other half of Arizona's elite freshman duo. After a slow start to the season, Burries' draft stock has been on the rise throughout the year. He can score in a variety of ways, and although his playmaking is a little underwhelming and he is a little short for the two-guard spot, he makes up for it by being a physical player with all the intangibles.
2. SG Braylon Mullins, UConn
Braylon Mullins became a college basketball legend in the Elite Eight, and that only helped his draft stock. The UConn guard nailed the game-winning 3-pointer from well beyond the arc just before time expired against Duke in what was one of the most legendary moments in college basketball history.
The shot not only displayed his incredible range and shooting ability, but it also proved he is poised and ready to step up in the big moments. Mullins will need to add strength at the next level, and his shot was somewhat streaky this year, but after being mocked around the same area as Burries all season long, his big shot over Duke should be enough to narrowly move the needle.
1. G Keaton Wagler, Illinois
The 2026 NBA Draft class is both deep and stacked with star talent. All of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson would go first overall in a lot of draft classes. Even Darius Acuff would have a case some years after a late-season explosion. None of them are left in March, though. Keaton Wagler is the best prospect remaining.
There was a stretch there for a couple of months before the end of the regular season where Wagler's name started to get included in top-five discussions. In fact, Wagler was picked fourth overall, ahead of Wilson, in ClutchPoints' post-All-Star mock draft.
Wagler will fit with just about any team at the next level. He has great positional size and can play on or off the ball. The Illinois guard is also a knockdown 3-point shooter. His draft stock was reinforced with a great performance in which he scored 25 points in the Elite Eight. The top four of the 2026 NBA Draft seem just about set in stone in some order at this point, but if Wagler could lead Illinois to their first-ever national championship, he just might stir up some change.
