Having NBA talent on a college basketball roster doesn't mean everything, but it's certainly valuable and the Michigan basketball team has as much NBA talent as anyone in college basketball.
The Athletic released its latest mock draft for the 2026 NBA draft, and Michigan basketball had three players that made their way into the first-round projection, which is more than any other program.
Duke had two projected first-round picks, along with Arizona, Houston, Alabama, and Baylor. But the Wolverines are the only team that had three, and all of them play in the frontcourt.
Michigan basketball has three first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Mock draft
Yaxel Lendeborg, the former UAB transfer, who has made a strong case to win Big Ten Player of the Year, was projected to go 19th in the draft to Charlotte. Morez Johnson was the next Michigan basketball player to come off the board, as he was projected to the Lakers with the No. 22 overall pick.
Next is 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara. He was viewed as a potential first-round pick before even playing college basketball. However, Mara has taken off this season under the tutelage of Dusty May.
The former UCLA big man is projected to go 27th overall to the Boston Celtics. He would be a great player to pair with the current group in Boston. His rim protection, low-post scoring, and passing ability are all things that will get him on the floor early in his NBA career.
Mara is scoring 12.4 points per game on 67 percent shooting. He's also averaging 2.4 assists and 2.6 blocks per game, as well as 6.9 rebounds (2.1 offensive).
The fact that all three have been able to play together for extended periods of time this season has been the true X-factor for Michigan basketball. Few teams have been able to contend with it.
Duke was the only one. Yet, Mara and Johnson were each saddled with foul trouble. It will be interesting to see what happens in a potential rematch.
As this NBA mock draft reminds us, when it comes to pure NBA talent, Michigan basketball has as much or more than anyone in college basketball.