With the men’s 2026 NCAA tournament now complete and the Wolverines crowned as national champions, it’s a good time to look back at how the field narrowed from 68 teams to one. Along the way, five prospects stood out by boosting their NBA Draft stock (and future fantasy value) through strong tournament performances.
Starting with two players from the Natty:
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Aday Mara, C, Michigan
Mara was one of my prospects to watch coming into the tournament, and he didn’t disappoint. In the regular season, he averaged 12.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.6 blocks per game. He led the Big Ten in FG%, eFG% and blocks. Entering the tournament, he was still projected as a late-first-rounder. However, after his dominant March Madness, Mara could move into the middle of the draft. In five tournament games prior to the National Championship, he upped his scoring to 16.0 ppg, with 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 blocks per contest. In their Final Four matchup against Illinois, he was invaluable, scoring 26 points, grabbing 9 rebounds and blocking 3 shots on 11-of-16 shooting. While his championship game performance wasn’t at that level, his interior presence was a constant disruption for UConn. Mara closed out his season scoring 8 points with 4 rebounds, a steal and a block in 30 minutes.
The 7-foot-3 junior finished the tournament in the 90th percentile or higher for most advanced offensive metrics, except for offensive rebound rate, free-throw attempts and three-point rate. Defensively, he was in the 98th percentile for block percentage and Hakeem (steals + blocks percentage). Mara moved from a bench role at UCLA to become a pivotal member of Michigan, helping the Wolverines earn their second national championship and earning All-Tournament team honors.
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Tarris Reed, F/C, UConn
The former Michigan transfer was arguably the biggest riser of the NCAA tournament. With UConn for his senior season, the big man posted 14.8 points, 8.8 boards, 2.4 assists and 2.9 stocks per game. He shot 61.7% from the field during the regular season. Before the tournament, Reed was projected as a late-second-round pick, according to an ESPN mock draft. Once March began, he started putting up monster numbers.
Check out these performances:
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Round of 64: 31 points, 27 rebounds, 3 assists
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Round of 32: 10 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal
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Sweet 16: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
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Elite 8: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals
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Final 4: 17 points, 11 rebounds
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Championship: 13 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal
Posting 19.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for the duration of the tournament is a statement. Now, his age and inability to stretch the floor are certainly limitations that will give scouts pause. But any team needing a scrappy backup big man can rest assured that Reed has proved he can be a force in the paint. His screen-setting has also been a major asset, enabling his team’s offense while carrying a 26+% usage rate and displaying improved playmaking — evident in sequences like this one:
Per CBB Analytics, Reed was the best defensive rebounder in the tourney. He ranked in the 100th percentile in defensive rebound rate, 98th in offensive rebounding, 88th in blocks and 86th in Hakeem. There’s a chance his tourney performance bumps him up to a late-first or early-second round pick.
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Darius Acuff Jr., G, Arkansas
Acuff has emerged as the top point guard in the nation. Although his NCAA tournament run ended in the Sweet 16, he demonstrated considerable offensive potential in the first two rounds. Acuff averaged 29.3 points, 5.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.3 turnovers per game with 50/38/84 shooting splits. Although defensive concerns persist, his offensive production aligns with evaluations of similar players whose scoring compensates for defensive limitations (see Stephon Marbury).
Acuff was the only NCAA point guard to average at least 20 points with 6 assists, supporting the expectation that his shot-making and playmaking will translate to the next level. Depending on the draft lottery outcome, he may be selected in the top 3 to 5 picks in June.
Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
Wagler’s consistent improvement throughout the season culminated in a strong performance during Illinois’ run to the Final Four. In the Sweet 16, he recorded 13 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 stocks during an upset over Houston. He followed that up by contributing 25 points in Illinois’ Elite 8 win over Iowa. Wagler concluded his tournament with a 20-point, 8-rebound effort.
Over five games, he averaged 18-7-3 and shot 50% from the field, 37% from 3, while finishing 86th percentile in Hakeem. The 6-foot-6 guard combines size, basketball IQ, poise, playmaking and plenty of shooting to offset concerns about his athleticism. He projects to be a top-10 draft pick.
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Labaron Philon Jr., G, Alabama
Philon averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, with 50/38/90 shooting splits across three tournament games. Outside of a poor shooting game against Texas Tech (where he still put up 9 points, 6 rebounds and 12 assists), his leadership and efficiency were on full display until Alabama played the eventual champion in the Sweet 16. Philon gave Michigan a 35-piece, hitting six 3s and scoring nearly half of Alabama’s points. That was one of those memorable, signature performances that stamped Philon’s sophomore campaign.
He’s a pure bucket who can score at all three levels with a shiftiness and playmaking skillset of a Darius Garland or Keyonte George archetype. Depending on how the draft order goes, Philon should be a sure-fire lottery pick with a chance to go in the top-10.
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