NCAA Championship Game 2018: Star Players Who Will Decide Villanova vs. Michigan

What makes No. 1 Villanova and No. 3 Michigan dangerous is the corral of star players able to step up in clutch moments.

While the Wildcats and Wolverines possess a men's basketball superstar on their respective rosters, they are two of the most well-rounded programs in the nation.

Villanova, who is in search of its second title in three seasons, thrives at the three-point line, as all of its regular contributors are capable of knocking down a momentum-changing shot.

Michigan contains a little more balance in its offensive approach, but it also carries versatile big men similar to the ones on Villanova's roster.

With so many potential stars for Monday's NCAA men's basketball tournament final to choose from, it is easy to pick out who will shine the brightest Monday, and below is a look at four of them.

Star Players to Watch

Michigan

Moritz Wagner

After struggling in the first round against No. 14 Montana, Moritz Wagner thrived in all facets of Michigan's offense in the last four games. 

The junior forward's best performance of the season came in the Final Four win over No. 11 Loyola-Chicago, as he produced 24 points and 15 rebounds while some of his teammates failed to get into a rhythm.

Wagner faces a different type of matchup than he has seen throughout the tournament Monday, as he takes on a pair of versatile frontcourt players in Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall who are more similar to his style.

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Instead of battling inside, like he did against Loyola's Cameron Krutwig or Texas A&M's duo of Robert Williams and Tyler Davis, Wagner is going to be drawn out to the perimeter more since Spellman and Paschall are threats from three-point range.

Defensively, Wagner must be wise in picking times to go out to the three-point line to defend the shots of Villanova's forwards.

If he commits too much time to the perimeter and is the only paint presence on the floor, Wagner will open up space for Villanova's guards to penetrate the lane and score.

As long as he continues to thrive offensively and stays home on defense to let his teammates cover the perimeter, Wagner is going to make one of the biggest impacts on Monday's game.

Charles Matthews

Compared to Wagner and stars from other teams, Charles Matthews has flown under the radar a bit throughout March Madness.

The Kentucky transfer has been a consistent complementary part to Wagner offensively, as he reached double digits in each of Michigan's five NCAA tournament games.

Matthews scored at least 17 points in four of the five games, and he has to do much of the same in order to keep pace with Villanova's incredible collection of guards.

He isn't much of a three-point marksman, but Matthews knows how to pick his shots well inside the arc, while Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson focus on striking defenses from downtown.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Matthews made 53.2 percent of his shots in the last five games, with the number dropping off dramatically once he goes beyond the arc.

Look for Matthews to drive into the lane to find open shots from close range and to earn trips to the free-throw line in an attempt to slow down the game against a fast-paced Villanova offense.

Villanova

Jalen Brunson

The captain of Villanova's ship is one of the most hard-nosed players you'll see in basketball.

Not only is Jalen Brunson capable of hitting big shots from three-point range, he's the top passer on the Wildcats roster, and he shows no fear attacking the paint.

While he hasn't been Villanova's top scorer in every game this season, Brunson has made a run for that designation, as he scored over 10 points in 39 games.

Brunson carries a streak of 45 straight double-digit point performances into the national championship, as his last single-digit scoring output was a nine-point outing against Creighton on February 25, 2017.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

You should see Brunson feeling out Michigan's defense at the start of the game, as he tries to pick out the small pockets that leave the Wolverines vulnerable with an extra pass or two.

Once he assesses what the Wolverines are throwing at him, Brunson will attack from three-point range, or by backing down defenders on the blocks.

Regardless of what he does Monday, Brunson is going to be everywhere on your screen and should cause all sorts of problems to Michigan's defensive game plan.

Omari Spellman

Villanova's supporting cast around Brunson is arguably the best in the nation, as a different player stepped up throughout the tournament to complement the team's top scorer.

Omari Spellman filled that role against No. 5 West Virginia in the Sweet 16, as he knocked down four three-pointers in an 18-point performance.

In Saturday's triumph over No. 1 Kansas, the freshman forward hit three triples as part of his 15-point output.

In addition to providing an extra element to Villanova's three-point attack, Spellman makes his presence known on the boards.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

With 13 rebounds in the Final Four, Spellman earned his 11th double-double of the season, and his sixth since the start of February.

Spellman may have to focus more on the painted area Monday, with Wagner, Jon Teske and Isaiah Livers occupying that part of the court for Michigan.

While he is still going to drift out to the three-point line on a few offensive possessions, Spellman is going to make a bigger impact down low, as he creates second-chance opportunities with his offensive rebounding.

Defensively, Spellman needs to limit the impact of Michigan's frontcourt players, especially Wagner while he is inside the arc, in order to present the Villanova guards with chances to score in transition.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.