If there were two players who raised their NBA draft stock, it had to be Michigan’s Aday Mara and Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr.
Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Saragoza, Spain, was a huge reason why the Wolverines captured their first men’s NCAA tournament title since 1989. His presence in the paint, particularly on defense, allowed Michigan defenders to stay home on shooters and his guard-like skills afforded Michigan head coach Dusty May another playmaker on the court to go with point guard Elliott Cadeau and Yaxel Lendeborg.
The 21-year-old Mara was projected to be a late first- or early second-round pick, but after his impressive performances in the NCAA tournament, some mock drafts elevated him in the top 20 of the first round.
The other center who elevated his draft stock was UConn’s Reed Jr. The 6-11, 265-pound burly big man — who spent his first two college seasons at Ann Arbor, Mich. — was the driving force behind the Huskies’ run to the national championship game where they lost to Mara’s Wolverines.
Projected to be late second-round pick in the draft, Reed, who turns 23 in August, has completely flipped his draft status and could hear his name called in the first round.
A closer look at Reed and Mara.
Tarris Reed Jr., 22, senior, center, UConn
Reed averaged a double-double during March Madness, posting averages of 19.5 points and 13.1 rebounds while shooting 54.4% from the field. During the regular season, Reed posted 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
His tournament run was highlighted by a historic 31-poing, 27-rebound effort in the first round against Furman. Reed became the first men’s college player in 58 years to achieve a 30-25 stat line in the NCAA tournament. Elvin Hayes was the last player to pull off the 30-25 feat, doing in twice in 1968. Reed was also the first player since Bill Walton in 1972 to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game while shooting over 80% from the field.
In a highly anticipated matchup against AP and Naismith player of the year Cameron Boozer of Duke in the Elite Eight, Reed more than held his own, scoring 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds with four blocks and two steals.
PFSN’s Alex Kennedy wrote: “Tarris Reed Jr.’s NCAA Tournament run has been nothing short of spectacular. The UConn Huskies star has turned March Madness into his coming-out party.”
Kennedy added: “After transferring from the Michigan Wolverines, Reed has maximized his potential under UConn head coach Dan Hurley while taking on more responsibility.
And yet, Reed’s NBA draft projection is a bit complicated. He’ll be 23 years old in August, and his game does not stretch beyond the arc in a league where that’s now extremely important. He’s currently the No. 55-ranked prospect in PFSN’s NBA Mock Draft Simulator, and ESPN ranks him as the 63rd-best prospect on their 2026 NBA Draft big board, meaning there’s a chance he doesn’t even get drafted.”
Aday Mara, 21, junior, center, Michigan
In the national championship game against UConn, Mara contributed eight points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 30 minutes. More importantly, he provided an inside presence that made life difficult for UConn’s Reed.
“He probably won’t go in the first 10 [NBA draft picks], but in five years [NBA teams] will be like, ‘I probably wish I had taken Mara,’” former Michigan coach John Beilein told the New York Times.
Through five games in the 2026 NCAA tournament, Michigan center Aday Mara is averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game.
The 7-3 junior center has been a focal point of Michigan’s run to the national championship game in Indianapolis. He saved his best in the Final Four as he pumped in a career-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field in a 91-73 blowout win over Arizona. Mara was on the receiving end of several nifty lob dunks, which he triggered with some old fashioned screen-and-rolls.
Mara’s outstanding performance on both ends overcame the partial absence of All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who injured his knee and ankle in the first half and was never himself the rest of the game. With Lendeborg hobbled, Mara stepped up and became the focal point of Michigan’s inside attack. His length bothered Arizona’s frontcourt players, including freshman star Koa Peat, who had to earn all 16 of his points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field.
Mara left UCLA for Michigan in April 2025 primarily due to a desire for more playing time and frustration over not achieving his personal, high expectations during his two seasons in Westwood under UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. Despite enjoying his time at UCLA, Mara felt his development was stalled and sought a better fit for his skill set under Coach Dusty May.
“I had expectations when I came here that I didn’t achieve… so I took the decision to go to Michigan to try to meet all the expectations,” Mara said.
He felt Michigan offered a better system for his, specifically looking at how Coach Dusty May uses big men. May had success with Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf (both seven footers), and Mara joked that he saw both up close and personal as a sophomore — from the UCLA bench.
USA Today’s Bryan Kalbrosky thinks Mara jumped into the middle of the first round with his March Madness performance.
Kalbosky said: “After leading his team to the collegiate national championship game, Michigan center Aday Mara became one of the prospects who helped himself the most during March Madness. The 7-foot-3 big man, who transferred from UCLA, is a fantastic rim protector. Opponents only attempted 20.9 percent of their field goals at the rim when the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was on the court, per CBB Analytics, which ranks near lowest among all NCAA players. He can also pass well, finding some awesome outlet looks in transition and at the rim. Especially in short spurts, Mara would make an excellent backup to Victor Wembanyama.”