NBA Prospect Battles to Watch in the NCAA Tournament's Final Four

The NCAA Tournament has moved into its final stage in the Final Four. With March Madness coming to an end, this is an opportunity for multiple prospects to prove themselves in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Many of the first-round prospects include Brayden Burries (Arizona), Aday Mara (Michigan) and Morez Johnson (Michigan), but two prospect battles include four potential lottery picks that will grab the attention of everyone watching.

Saturday will be all about offense, as three of the remaining four teams rank within the top five of KenPom's offensive efficiency. Here are the two matchups that feature some elite NBA Draft talent:

Keaton Wagler vs. Braylon Mullins

Illinois vs. UConn

Wagler's breakout freshman season has been full of three-level scoring and big-time shots. The 6-foot-6 guard has been Illinois' primary ball-handler for most of the year, averaging 17.9 points, five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

Wagler is projected to be selected in the top seven of the draft, taken as what many hope to be a franchise star. He has the skill set and frame to be one of the league's best pure scorers.

Meanwhile, Mullins is coming off one of the greatest moments in the tournament's history. The freshman, also 6-foot-6 with a wiry frame, nailed a deep three-pointer off a UConn steal to take down Duke in the Elite Eight.

He hasn't gotten as many opportunities to score in isolation as Wagler, but Mullins still has plenty of NBA potential, averaging 11.9 points and 3.4 rebounds on 43-33-89 shooting splits.

The Fighting Illini have more weapons on the offensive end compared to UConn, but the Huskies are ninth in defensive efficiency.

Yaxel Lendeborg vs. Koa Peat

Michigan vs. Arizona

The second game on Saturday's slate features two forwards battling to firmly be a lottery prospect. Yaxel Lendeborg and Koa Peat are projected to go in the 12 to 20 range, but such a big moment will test whether or not they're built to stand out in the NBA.

Lendeborg, despite being 23 years old, has lived up to the challenge of being Michigan's star. Averaging 15.2 points, seven rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this season, the Big Ten Player of the Year could end up being a do-it-all star in the league. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he has elite two-way potential.

Peat, on the other hand, is more of a bruising forward at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds. He isn't the star of Arizona's offense, but he has played a great supplementary role. The state-native is putting up 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.