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Top 10 players of Final Four, ranked: Who is the best in March Madness?
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- Top 10 players of Final Four, ranked: Who is the best in March Madness?
Stars are made in March Madness , and even more so in the biggest games of each NCAA Tournament.
When Michigan , Arizona , UConn and Illinois meet in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis , there will be plenty of star power on the hardwood. A championship is on the line, along with status and NBA draft stock, after all.
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REQUIRED READING: Final Four predictions: Who will advance to 2026 National Championship?
All four teams have starting lineups built with transfers. First-team All-American Yaxel Lendeborg from Michigan, a sixth-year senior, is a first-year transfer from UAB and has proved he belongs since moving from the mid-major level to the Wolverines .
There's also Illinois true freshman Keaton Wagler , who has risen from a non-elite high school prospect to being a surefire lottery pick in his first collegiate season.
Here's a look at our rankings for the best players of the Final Four in 2026:
Best players of Final Four, ranked
1. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
The only first-team All-American on this list, Lendeborg was the top-available transfer last season and has backed up that honor and then some in his lone season at Michigan. The 6-foot-9, do-it-all forward is averaging 15.2 points with 7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season, and has stepped it up a notch in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 27, 23 and 25, respectively, in Michigan's last three wins over Tennessee , Alabama and Saint Louis.
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Lendeborg is also shooting 50% from 3-point range in March Madness, and 59.2% from the field. The experienced forward has also shown an ability to take over games in the clutch, giving the Wolverines a huge advantage in that aspect.
2. Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Wagler came out of nowhere in 2025-26, as he was a three-star recruit in 2025, per 247Sports' Composite. The 6-foot-6 guard has shades of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , with long arms, impressive finishing ability and shooting.
Wagler is averaging 17.9 points with five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season on 44.5% shooting and is coming off a 25-point showing against Iowa in the Elite Eight. He has done nothing but helm one of the best offenses in college basketball in recent memory, all as a true freshman.
The Shawnee, Kansas, native will hear his name called early in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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3. Tarris Reed Jr. , UConn
Tarris Reed Jr. has been a different player in the NCAA Tournament for UConn, elevating the Huskies' ceiling as a team. The 6-foot-11 center is averaging 14.7 points with 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season, but has upped those numbers to a ridiculous 21.8-13.5-3.0 mark in the NCAA Tournament.
Reed outplayed national player of the year candidate Cameron Boozer in the Elite Eight, as he finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, four blocks and two steals in the dominant performance.
Reed has been a revelation this season, especially after only starting one game for UConn in 2024-25. He started his career at Michigan, where he played two seasons under former coach Juwan Howard .
4. Jaden Bradley , Arizona
Jaden Bradley was a surprise when he won Big 12 Player of the Year over the nation's leading scorer in BYU, but his impact has been greater than his per-game averages show.
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The veteran senior guard is in his third season at Arizona after transferring from Alabama and has started every game over the past two seasons. He's averaging 13.3 points with 4.4 assists per game this season, averages less than two turnovers per game, and helps run one of the most efficient paint offenses in college basketball.
The 6-foot-3 guard is nothing but steady and helps find Arizona's top scorers Brayden Burries and Koa Peat open looks.
5. Brayden Burries, Arizona
Arizona's top scorer this season, true freshman Brayden Burries makes up perhaps the nation's best backcourt alongside Bradley. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 16.1 points with 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season, and has been wildly efficient in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.8 points per contest on 57.9% shooting.
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Burries is a knockdown shooter, shooting 40.2% on 3-pointers for the year and a whopping 68.4% mark from distance in the Tournament. Suffice to say, don't leave him open in the Final Four.
6. Koa Peat, Arizona
The third member of Arizona's big three, Koa Peat gets it done for Arizona in the paint and on the glass. The 6-foot-8 true freshman is averaging 14.1 points with 5.5 rebounds per game this season, and is coming off back-to-back performances with 20 or more points against Purdue and Arkansas , two of the hottest teams entering March Madness.
7. Aday Mara , Michigan
Aday Mara has been a huge success story for Michigan coach Dusty May and his staff this season. The former UCLA transfer started nine total games in two seasons with the Bruins, averaging fewer than seven points per game in his two seasons there.
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He has blossomed into a likely NBA draft pick with the Wolverines, averaging 11.8 points with 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 66.9% from the field. The 7-foot-3 center is also an imposing figure defensively, with 2.6 blocks per game, ranking fourth nationally in the category.
Mara is part of a frontcourt with Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. that has a ton of size and length. Mara also, importantly, acts as an offensive hub at times for the Wolverines, as he's a surprisingly good passer at his height.
8. Andrej Stojakovic , Illinois
The son of former NBA sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic, Andrej Stojakovic has a much different game than his dad, but he's been impactful for Illinois, nonetheless.
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The 6-foot-7 wing is one of the best finishers in college basketball and uses his frame as an advantage against smaller guards. He has been on a heater in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 17, 13 and 21 points, respectively, in his last three outings against Iowa, Houston and VCU.
Stojakovic, a two-time transfer from Stanford and then Cal, is averaging 13.6 points with 4.4 rebounds this season, while only shooting 24.4% from 3-point range on 2.5 attempts per game.
9. Alex Karaban , UConn
One of the most-experienced players in NCAA Tournament history, UConn wing Alex Karaban leads all players with 17 all-time wins in March Madness. The two-time national champion and three-time Final Four participant has been reliable for the Huskies in his four seasons, making 148 career starts in 149 career games.
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Karaban is averaging 13.2 points with 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season and is a 37.7% shooter from 3-point range. He has been a huge part of UConn's run the last four years, and will be relied on in the Final Four by Dan Hurley and Co.
10. Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Morez Johnson Jr. was another transfer portal success story for Michigan, which starts five transfers in its starting lineup. Johnson came off the bench at Illinois last season but has developed into a solid starting forward for the Wolverines.
The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 13.2 points with 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this season on 62.5% shooting as a first-time college starter, ranking second for Michigan in scoring. He scored 21 points with 10 rebounds on 8-of-8 shooting in the Wolverines' opening-round win over No. 16 seed Howard.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top players of Final Four, ranked: Who is the best in March Madness?
