2026 Final Four: The NBA Draft prospects to watch on Arizona, Michigan, Illinois and UConn

· Yahoo Sports

The Final Four is certainly about cutting down nets, but it’s also a showcase for future NBA talent. Arizona, Michigan, Illinois and UConn are stacked with prospects that’ll appear in the 2026 draft and in the classes to come. This list ranks 24 Final Four prospects from the lottery locks to the deep cuts:

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Wagler was never expected to be a one-and-done, and yet here he is, as the star freshman of a Final Four team. He's not an elite vertical athlete, as evidenced by his zero dunks on the year. But he is 6-foot-6 with a long wingspan, has elite footwork, can decelerate on drives, and has an excellent feel for the game. Even when he’s not scoring, he can make an impact with his passing, and his defending and rebounding; he had seven assists in the opening round and a 12-rebound effort in the Sweet 16. Wagner may not jump out of the gym, but he’s a complete player who is proving to be a winner.

(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

With Arizona up 13 with only 3:20 to go in the Elite 8, Burries dove head first for a loose ball, grabbed it, then flipped it to his teammate for an open layup. Some players would've relaxed with the big lead, but Burries stays pedal to the metal. While that sums up one of his most attractive qualities, watch Arizona in the Final Four and you'll see he's not just a hustle guy. He projects as a top-10 pick as a physical, versatile scorer who can beat you from all three levels. He's a methodical creator rather than an explosive one, but his shooting history before Arizona gives scouts reason to wonder whether the efficiency is real or a blip.

Michigan wouldn't be in the Final Four if it weren't for Lendeborg's do-it-all ability. He fills the stat sheet, he can play multiple positions, and he has a 7-foot-4 wingspan at 240 pounds with a genuine handle. The issue is the 3-point shooting sits around 30% on his career and he'll be 24 as a rookie. But he goes through streaks where he's draining a ton of 3s, like he has for all of March, that make him look like a future star. Still, even if NBA stardom isn’t in the cards, his do-it-all ability gives him the potential to be a highly versatile role player.

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Mara has become one of the best true 5s in the country after transferring from UCLA. He reads the floor like a guard, finishes with both hands, and swats shots with elite timing. The complication is he doesn't shoot well from outside, makes below 60% of his free throws, and opponents are going to attack him on the perimeter. But size matters, and at 7-3, his floor reads and timing make him one of the more intriguing bigs in this class.

Krivas is a 7-2 Lithuanian center who does the old-school things by rebounding, protecting the rim, and scoring in the post. He is an inch shorter than Mara, his opponent on Saturday, but a bit more agile of a mover in small spaces. He also brings a modern flair with his ability to make good reads as a passer and the flashes he shows as a shooter. As a near-80% shooter from the line, it may only be a matter of time until he’s banging spot-up 3s in the NBA.

Mullins hit one of the greatest buzzer-beaters in college basketball history to send Connecticut to the Final Four, but prior to that he was in the middle of a long cold streak, missing 47 of his previous 57 attempts from 3. Still, that moment showed who he can be at his best: a confident shooter with limitless range, both off the catch and off one or two dribbles. He needs others to generate his looks, and he's listed at 196 pounds on a frame that will immediately get tested at the next level. But if he can add strength and expand his creation even slightly, he starts to look like a lot more than a lethal shooter.

Peat's bloodline is so loaded with offensive linemen that it's almost funny he ended up playing basketball. His father played nine NFL seasons. His uncle was a Pro Bowl tackle. Two brothers played college ball on the line. And you can absolutely see it in how he plays: powerful, physical, relentless, and it genuinely takes something special to stop him from getting to where he wants to go. He opened the season with a 30-point game against defending champion Florida and backed it up as one of Arizona's best players all year on its way to the Final Four.

Michigan is filled with so much star power that Johnson is the guy who often gets overlooked nationally. He’s a 250-pound wrecking ball with surprisingly soft hands and the defensive IQ to guard 1 through 5 in a switch-heavy scheme. And he makes constant plays beyond the box score with bone-crushing screens, full-court sprints, and high IQ rotations that blow up the opponent’s action. But he isn’t quite big enough to be a true center and not yet proven enough as a shooter to guarantee he spaces the floor.

Karaban sprinted off a curl, caught the ball while moving away from the basket, turned, and then fired a massive 3-pointer in the closing minute of UConn’s epic comeback over Duke in the Elite 8. The moment is emblematic of his shooting ability as a 37.7% career guy at UConn. But he can also bury smaller defenders in the post and make the smart choice as a cutter and passer. Even on the final play, in what could’ve been his final moment at UConn, Karaban decided to pass the ball to a wide-open Mullins for the win instead of taking the shot himself. He lacks the upside to be a star, but he makes everyone around him better.

Reed was a projected second-round pick entering the tournament, and could very well still find himself in that range since he’s a senior who will be 23 as a rookie. But he brings throwback big skills as an interior bruiser, rebounder, and shot-blocker. And now those qualities are translating to pure dominance on the biggest stage against the toughest opponents, which could put him in the late first-round conversation. He had 31 points in the opening round, then 20 against Michigan State, and 26 on just 16 shots against Duke's frontline to help the Huskies punch their ticket to the Final Four.

McKenney was the 18th-ranked prospect in his recruiting class, and plays a key role off the bench for the Wolverines. He’s made 39% of his catch-and-shoot 3s, with many of them coming off screens and handoffs. And he’s made 42% of his dribble jumpers, though on a lower volume. But with his strong frame and a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Michigan has occasionally plugged him into different areas of the floor whether he's running pick-and-roll like you'd expect a guard to do, or posting up down low like a throwback guard. McKenney could use another year to develop his ball-handling with a larger role, which could make him a potential lottery pick in the 2027 draft class.

Peja's son is a 22-year-old wing who transferred from Stanford to California and then to Illinois, and now he finds himself as one of the team’s most important players. Unlike his father Peja, Stojakovic isn’t much of a shooter. But he’s a talented driver and cutter, which has led him to average 15 points on 59.5% shooting from the floor in March Madness. But most important is his work on the defensive end; he was pivotal in making life hard on point guard Bennett Stirtz in the Elite 8. If he’s able to finally figure out how to shoot from the perimeter, he’ll carve out a long career in the NBA. But as is, he’s able to contribute without needing jumpers to fall.

Mirkovic doesn’t have a single dunk on the season. He can’t jump over a piece of paper. And yet, he grabbed 8.1 boards per game and opened the tournament against Penn with a 29-point, 17-rebound effort — making him just the third freshman in NCAA tournament history with a 25/15 game, joining Joe Smith and Tim Thomas. So despite his lack of athleticism, he can produce. The Montenegrin gets his points mostly behind his knockdown jumper, but he can also run some pick-and-rolls. However, it’s a different challenge at the next level. Mirkovic is too slow to be a wing and too small to be a big. So he’ll need multiple years of college to improve his athleticism and prove himself as an NBA draft prospect.

Signed out of Germany's top pro league last June with almost no fanfare, Kharchenkov was the biggest mystery on Arizona's roster entering the season, then had a double-double against defending champion Florida in his very first college game. It’s been a year full of similarly impressive performances, as he’s shown an ability to switch screens at a high level, make good decisions as a connective passer, and finish in the paint. But he’s made only 31.4% of his 3s and will need to improve that number.

Ivisic is a stretch-big lefty who rains 3s and carves up the post with crafty hook shots. He’s been a load in the post all tournament, and scored some key buckets in a key second-half run for Illinois in its win over Iowa. But his plodding feet make him a defensive liability unless he makes dramatic progress at the next level. NBA scouts would like to see him play one more year. Tomislav is twin brothers with his teammate, Zvonimir.

Ivisic has the springs to finish lob dunks and he’s shown the ability to step out to the perimeter and knock down jumpers like his twin brother, Tomislav. Zvonimir needs more development as a perimeter defender for the NBA level, but is proving to be a formidable interior shot-blocker coming off the bench for the Illini. Still, one more year of development could go a long way in answering questions about his game.

Bradley is the kind of player whose value never fully shows up in a box score. He’s the heartbeat of the team, though, and was honored by being named the Big 12 Player of the Year. But as an NBA prospect, he’ll need to fight. He doesn’t have standout qualities as a shot creator, he’s a low volume shooter, and he’s only 6-3. Still, a player with his pedigree will get an opportunity somewhere.

After two disappointing seasons at North Carolina, Cadeau transferred to Michigan and became an engine of the team’s offense. He’s small in stature at 6-1 and 180 pounds, which raises concerns about his NBA potential. But he’s a talented ball-handler who displays poise in ball screens and the skill to sling passes all around the floor. And after struggling to shoot as an underclassman, he’s made 39% of his catch-and-shoot 3s with the Wolverines, per Synergy Sports. One more year at Michigan would be beneficial before entering the draft.

Demary made two massive 3s, drew a key foul, and deflected the pass that led to the win in UConn’s epic comeback versus Duke. And what makes it all the more impressive? He’s playing through a grade 2 high ankle sprain plus calf and Achilles issues, and playing well. His athleticism doesn’t pop off the charts. None of his singular skills really do. He’s a good shooter, not a great one. He’s a good playmaker, but not a savant. But he impacts winning, and it’d be a shocker if he doesn’t get an opportunity to become a rotation point guard at the next level.

Awaka was named National Sixth Man of the Year this season, averaging 9.6 points and 9.6 boards in just over 21 minutes. Only 20 of his 216 shots this season were jump shots, but it’s not a problem for him at Arizona because he’s such an interior enforcer. He rebounds, cuts, boxes out, and does all the dirty work around the rim that has played a key role in the Wildcats leading all tournament teams in free-throw attempts and scoring in the paint.

Boswell spent two years at Arizona before transferring to Illinois, his home state team as a native of Champaign, Illinois. He's the team's top point-of-attack defender and capable of bully-ball drives with his football-player frame. But he hasn’t developed as a shooter quite to the level that NBA scouts would like to see for a player who stands at only 6-3 and doesn’t project as a lead creator.

Ball suffered a wrist injury in December that’s still impacting his knockdown jumper today. He made 41.4% of his 3s as a sophomore, and that's fallen to 29.2% this season. He's made only three of his 21 attempts in the tournament as well. NBA teams know what he’s capable of as a shooter, but he’d be better off returning to school to raise his stock with an even larger role after Karaban graduates.

Reibe is the last man in Dan Hurley's rotation this tournament, logging only spot minutes. But he’s a 7-1 southpaw who made 75% of his shots at the rim, per Synergy, and was able to step out and make nearly one-third of his jumpers. Against Illinois' large frontcourt, he might need to play a bigger role if Reed were to get into foul trouble. But no matter what happens, odds are he’ll return to school, play a bigger role next year, and try to make himself a name for the 2027 draft.

Aristode has fallen out of the rotation in March, but he projects as a 3-and-D wing who can drain spot-up jumpers and switch screens on defense. Returning to school would be wise so he can expand his offense.

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