March Madness 2026: Ranking every Michigan and UConn starter for the national championship game from 1-10
From Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg to UConn's Solomon Ball, here's where every player lands
There is no such thing as a bad starter when you reach a stage as grand as the national championship game. All 10 players who will be introduced at Lucas Oil Stadium before Monday night's showdown between No. 1 seed Michigan and No. 2 seed UConn bring something unique to the table. But some are obviously teeming with more star power than others, and even the slightest weaknesses of anyone in the lineup could be magnified on college basketball's biggest stage.
The guards for both Michigan and UConn are great players who have contributed significantly to getting their teams to this point, but they have their limitations. The brightest stars for both teams are the bigs. Michigan has three great ones in Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara.
Another blossoming NCAA Tournament hero is UConn center Tarris Reed, who is in the midst of a historic tear through the Big Dance. The Huskies have been carried to a national title before by the heavy lifting of a single player (Kemba Walker in 2011 and Shabazz Napier in 2014). Can Reed be the next great hero and do it as a big man? He'll have his work cut out for him against Michigan's towering front line.
As Monday's big showdown approaches, here's an informed stab at ranking the 10 starters in the national title game.
1. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
The Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American put his full repertoire on display over the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-9 do-it-all forward may be a late bloomer, but the finished product is dubbed "Dominican LeBron" for a reason. He scores at all levels, passes like a pro and can defend anyone. A big storyline for the title game is Lendeborg's health after he suffered a knee injury in the Wolverines' 91-73 Final Four win over Arizona on Saturday.
2. Tarris Reed, UConn
Reed is on an all-time great NCAA Tournament tear, averaging 20.8 points, 13 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game on 58.2% shooting during the NCAA Tournament. In his second season since transferring from Michigan, Reed has blossomed into one of college basketball's best bigs. His touch at the rim on post-up opportunities is unmatched and provides a steady source of offense. But facing his former team -- one stacked with quality bigs -- will mark a massive test for the gentle giant
3. Aday Mara, Michigan
Mara's 7-foot-3 frame and even longer wingspan make him the best paint protector left in the field. What Mara lacks in lateral quickness and perimeter shooting, he more than makes up for by being a terror at the rim. He is great on post-ups and is usually good for at least two dunks per game. He made life hard on Arizona on Saturday with 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. The UCLA transfer will tower above everyone on the floor in this matchup.
4. Alex Karaban, UConn
Karaban is the veteran anchor for UConn. He played a vital role on the 2023 and 2024 title teams and is a true ironman who leads the Huskies in minutes. He keeps the floor spaced as a high-volume 3-point shooter who gets looks from a variety of actions. The Huskies love to run him off screens and find him in transition. He's combined for just 14 points on 2 of 13 shooting from beyond the arc over UConn's last two games, but don't sleep on Karaban. His veteran savvy is a key ingredient in UConn's hopes of pulling the upset.
5. Silas Demary, UConn
Demary emerged from an NCAA Tournament lull with a pair of huge 3-pointers late in the second half of UConn's historic comeback win over Duke in the Elite Eight. The Big East's assists leader runs the pick-and-roll efficiently and has been silently soldiering through an ankle injury that has limited his explosiveness for weeks. He was just 2 for 8 from the floor in UConn's Final Four win over Illinois, but he stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds and seven assists. He's delivering the ball on time and on target within the Huskies' intricate web of offensive actions.
6. Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Johnson rounds out Michigan's towering trio of front-court players as a hulking presence with the strength to create space on the block. The Illinois transfer has blossomed as a sophomore, playing the four when Mara is on the floor or the five when Mara is off. Most of his production comes in the paint, but he's also shown the ability to stretch the floor. Johnson gets less attention than Mara and Lendeborg, but he thrives in his role and will be a matchup problem down low for the Huskies, who won't have a natural counter for his strength.
7. Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Cadeau is having the best season of his career after spending two years as North Carolina's starting point guard. The former five-star prospect is lightning quick off the dribble, and his 3-point shot must be respected now that he's in a system with more weapons. If you send a double team to one of Michigan's other weapons, Cadeau can make you pay as a catch-and-shoot threat. He's logged 10 assists in back-to-back games and is playing with greater confidence than at any point in his career. He's already made an imprint on this Final Four after an allergy scare that forced him to travel to Indianapolis after the rest of the team.
8. Braylon Mullins, UConn
The trigger-happy wing ranks No. 28 in the CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings and is particularly dangerous in transition or coming off dribble handoffs or screens. He followed up his iconic shot against Duke in the Elite Eight by drilling the game-clinching 3-pointer against Illinois on Saturday night with under a minute remaining. The Indianapolis-area native played with a wrap on his knee for a portion of the second half against the Illini. When asked by CBS Sports, he said it was due to a cut that "busted open." He also received shoulder cupping treatment prior to Saturday's game, citing the grind of a long season. If the slender-framed freshman can withstand the physical grind associated with playing Michigan and produce one more heroic performance, he'll cement his status as a UConn legend.
9. Solomon Ball, UConn
Not only is a lingering wrist issue a factor for Ball, but now he's dealing with a foot sprain suffered in UConn's Final Four win over Illinois. Ball suffered the injury in the first half when getting tangled up with teammate Tarris Reed, but he played through it and scored 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting, including a 3-of-7 mark from 3-point range. The junior guard showed up to Sunday's activities in a boot and was not expected to practice. If he's able to play, the Huskies will need some timely shot-making like what he produced on Saturday.
10. Nimari Burnett, Michigan
Burnett's role decreased somewhat in his second season as a starter, but he remains a vital part of the operation with his floor-spacing ability as a 38% 3-pont shooter. The sixth-year senior started his career at Texas Tech, had a stop at Alabama and joined the Wolverines under Juwan Howard. He can be an X factor when he gets hot, and his perimeter defense will be vital against UConn. Regardless of who he ends up defending, Burnett will be tasked with keeping a strong perimeter shooter from getting hot and giving the Huskies life.
