Thoughts on Elliot Cadeau, Alex Karaban, and Morez Johnson Jr. in the 2026 National Champional Game

April 7th, 2026

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I took the time to watch the 2026 National Championship game that took place between Michigan and UConn. It was an entertaining game that went back and forth, but Michigan made key plays down the stretch to win the game to win the title.  Here are my thoughts on how some of the top performers fared, as well as how they may currently stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Elliot Cadeau had a strong showing to help lead Michigan to a title win over UConn. Cadeau is an athletic, fleet-footed point guard that did a great job of making plays on both ends of the floor, and he especially thrived as a scorer in this game.

Cadeau did a good job of scoring off the dribble. He can use hesitation moves to finish play around the basket, and he can ably score in traffic. He also showed the knack for getting fouled by opposing defenders to frequently get to the free throw line.  He also used a ball fake to make a deep three, although he struggled to make outside shots consistently.

He also displayed satisfactory playmaking skills.  Cadeau can throw entry passes and find teammates on the move, and he was able to notch a pair of assists.  On oen play though, he threw an inaccurate pass that led to a turnover.  He also was able to get his fair share of rebounds.  Plus, he also defended well.  Cadeau would poke balls and intercept passes to get steals, and he also made a nice chase down block to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break due to possessing good athleticism, motor, and timing.  Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively and commit fouls.

In general, Elliot Cadeau played very well to help lead his team to a win over UConn.  He did a good job of making shots and defending, and he had a very solid, all-around game.  Though he is a bit undersized, he is a solid scorer and playmaker that can defend his position, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team, especially if he’s available for them to select in the late first to the second round range of the 2026 draft.

Alex Karaban put forth a very good performance in his team’s tough loss to Michigan. He is a skilled, mobile forward that turned in a strong all-around game, and he especially thrived as a sharpshooter and scorer when he was on the floor.

Karaban was active in scoring on hustle plays.  He would score on tip-ins and fast breaks, and he also can drive to the hoop to get fouled and get free throws.  He also showed a satisfactory ability to knock down threes, as he was able to do so both off the catch, dribble, and he also ran quickly off a ball screen to make one from deep.  However, he also was streaky with his outside shot sometimes.

He also showed a solid ability to throw interior passes and find teammates on the move, but he also threw one pass that got intercepted once. Plus, he also did a great job of rebounding the basketball.  Karaban also defended well.  He showed a knack for getting his hands on passes and poking balls away to get steals and deflections.  He also blocked a shot off of a drive to himself due to possessing solid length, athleticism, and timing.  Every once in a while, he would give up too much space to shooters, which led him to allow a score once.

Overall, Alex Karaban played well, and he had a very good collegiate career.  He is an agile, skilled forward whose ability to make shots, defend, and play team basketball will allow him to be a solid, versatile role player at the NBA level, and he would be a good pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round of the 2026 draft.

Morez Johnson Jr. also played well in his team’s win over UConn.  He is an athletic, energetic big man that excelled at making interior plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.

Johnson showed a knack for scoring around the basket, as he would score on tip-ins, and has a crafty pump fake move that he can utilize to get defenders in the air.  He also passes the ball well for a player his size, and made good passes to find the open man.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to protect the ball when handling it out of the post, which would lead to some turnovers.

He also rebounded and defended well.  Johnson showed a knack for rotating to block shots, and he also jumped on a loose ball to help his team get a steal.  Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Occasionally, he would give up deep position when defending in the post, which allowed him to give up a basket that time.

Overall, Johnson played well in his team’s win over UConn.  He’ll still need to expand upon his skill set offensively, but he is an athletic, energetic big man that projects to be a solid rotational big man at the NBA level, and he would be a good pick for an NBA team, especially if he’s available for them to select in the second round of the 2026 draft.

Aday Mara had a fairly solid showing in his team’s win over UConn.  He had a better showing than the box score indicated, and he made a slew of highlight reel-worthy plays in this game.

Mara showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He excelled at scoring on rolls and in transition, and he was able to catch a lob to score on a high-flying, alley-oop dunk.  He also would use ball and shoulder fakes to score out of the post, and Mara is a very tall center that has good footwork. On the downside, he was inconsistent as a low post scorer in this game, and he would sometimes miss on jump hooks.

He also displayed solid playmaking skills.  Mara is a good passer that made an assortment of passes to set up scoring chances to his teammates, and he also threw an accurate, very long outlet pass to find a teammate on the break.  On one play though, he lost the ball when posting up, which led to a turnover.

Though he didn’t get many boards in this game, Mara was able to get a few rebounds when he was on the floor.  He also defended really well.  He showed a knack for blocking shots due to possessing good length, athleticism, and timing.  He also would get his hands on passes to get steals, and he would contest shots around the basket to force misses.

Overall, Aday Mara played fairly well in his team’s win over UConn.  He is a very tall, skilled center that has had a very good season, and he would be a good value pick for an NBA team in the first round of the 2026 draft.

Yaxel Lendeborg had a decent showing in his team’s win over UConn.  He struggled to consistently knock down shots, but he is an athletic, skilled big man that was able to make some sterling plays on both sides of the ball.

Lendeborg excelled at scoring out of the post, as he has the moves, strength, and scoring touch to do so. He also showed some ability to score off the dribble, and he excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  On the downside, he didn’t shoot well from the outside, as he ended up missing all of his three-pointers.

He also passed and handled the ball well, and he made good passes to consistently find the open man.  He didn’t grab many rebounds, but Lendeborg was able to get a pair of boards. He also defended very well.  Lendeborg is a long, rangy defender that has good feet defensively.  He hustled back to block a shot to stop an opponent from scoring on the break. He also contested a three to force a miss.

Overall, Lendeborg is an athletic, skilled forward that has a variety of skills that can be useful at the next level, and he was vital in helping Michigan win the National Championship. He’ll still need to be a more consistent outside shooter, but he is a very skilled, versatile player that could be a solid pick in the lottery of the 2026 draft, as he has the skills to be a solid player in the NBA.

Trey McKenney was able to make some clutch plays down the stretch to help Michigan get the win.  He didn’t have his best game, but he made the necessary plays count when they needed him the most.

McKenney is a solid outside shooter that showed a knack for scoring on smooth, stepback jumpers.  He was able to do so both from three-point land and the mid-range.  He struggled to consistently make shots, but McKenney made timely shots in this game.

He also passed the ball well.  He did a good job of finding the open man and making pinpoint passes.  McKenney also rebounded and defended well.  He also defended an opposing balll handler up the court and helped force a ball-handling turnover.

Overall, Trey McKenney was able to make clutch plays down the stretch.  He is a talented prospect that could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA, and he could be a good pick in the second round of the 2026 draft.

Solo Ball is a very athletic combo guard that excelled at shooting and scoring the basketball, especially in the first half.  He showed a knack for making threes and mid-range jumpers, as he can do so off the catch and dribble. 

Sometimes though, he would struggle to protect the basketball, and he also would tend to commit careless fouls defensively that would lead him into foul trouble.  Still, Ball is an athletic shot maker that could project well into a microwave scorer role at the next level, and he would likely be a solid value pick in the second round of the 2026 draft.

Braylon Mullins is best known for making the game-winning three to get his team the surprising, go-ahead win over Duke to get UConn to the Final Four.  Mullins projects into a sharpshooter role at the NBA level.  Against Michigan, he did everything else well, but he did not shoot the ball very well nor scored efficiently, as he didn’t quite have the game he wanted.

Mullins didn’t at all shoot the ball well, but he showed he can make threes both off the catch and dribble, particularly from the corners, and he was able to run quickly off a ball screen to make one from deep.  He has a crafty pump fake that he can use to get defenders in the air.  He also managed to run in to score on a quick putback.  On the downside, he struggled to make outside shots consistently or to score off the dribble, and he also had a couple of his shots blocked.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  Mullins did a good job of making an assortment of passes, and he reads the floor well due to possessing solid court vision.

Mullins also rebounded and defended well, and he also would hustle to get some offensive boards.  Mullins was able to use his length to contest and block shots to help his team get stops, and he also got back on defense and tied up an opposing ball handler to nearly get a steal.  On the downside, he struggled to defend a much bigger opponent in the post, which led his team to give up the basket.

Overall, Mullins didn’t have his best showing, but he is an athletic, skilled guard that has a slew of solid skills.  He could project to be a versatile role player in the NBA, and he would be a good value pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round of the 2026 draft.

Tarris Reed didn’t have his best game, but he did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball in his team’s loss to Michigan.  He struggled to consistently score out of the post, but he showed the ability to make spin moves to score on jump hooks. He also managed to score on a quick put back off his own miss. On the downside, he struggled to find his scoring touch, and he didn’t shoot well from the outside.

Reed also was able to make a pass back to an open man on the break once.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to make accurate passes or to handle the ball in traffic, which would lead to turnovers.  He also defended well.  He would get his hands on balls to get steals, blocks, and deflections. Sometimes though, he would struggle to defend in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Reed didn’t play very well,but he was able to make some plays to help his team in this game. He is a strong, mobile big man that played well this season, and he could be a solid rotational NBA big man that could end up going in the late first to the second round of the 2026 draft.

Roddy Gayle Jr. had some solid moments in his team’s win over UConn. Though he didn’t shoot well, he was able to score on an athletic tip slam after grabbing an offensive board. 

He also generally passed the ball well, and he was able to throw a successful lob to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  Gayle also defended well, and he showed a knack for rotating to block shots off the dribble.  On the downside, he would sometimes get his shots blocked off the dribble, and he also tended to commit loose ball fouls due to over-aggressiveness. Overall, Gayle didn’t stand out nearly as much as his teammates, but he was able to make some impactful plays, and he is an athletic swingman that could project to be a defensive specialist at the NBA level.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Cadeau, Karaban, Johnson, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.