The 12 best players that will define the 2026-27 college basketball season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The college basketball offseason was effectively a nightmare, with eligibility battles continuing right up to tip-off, but there is no doubt the talent level across the country is enormously high.
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Between fifth-year players taking advantage of the NCAA’s new eligibility rules and talented players who returned for NIL paydays rather than jumping to the NBA, there are a number of big names with major aspirations in 2026-27.
There are also a slew of breakout players ready to emerge. Some are obvious, while others will make themselves known as the season plays out.
Here are 12 players who will define the 2026-27 college basketball season, from experienced veterans to a 17-year-old freshman.
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Thomas Haugh, Florida
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Year: Senior
Haugh was one of many Florida standouts to pass on the NBA and return for another season in Gainesville, but he is the centerpiece for the Gators. A likely first-round pick in 2027, Haugh averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season, developing from a weapon off the bench into the focal point of the nation’s most talented frontcourt. Florida’s national championship hopes hinge on Haugh continuing to play like a star.
Tyler Tanner
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Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
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Year: Junior
The biggest win for any program when the NBA Draft deadline passed in late May was Tanner’s return to Vanderbilt, which gave the Commodores one of the nation’s most prolific scorers for another season. What Vanderbilt can do around Tanner is a question, but the third-year guard was fearless last season with 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 48.5 percent from the field. Vanderbilt might not be the SEC’s best team, but Tanner has a case to be the conference’s best player.
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
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Year: Fourth-year senior
Tom Izzo has never had to fully embrace the transfer portal because Michigan State keeps retaining its top talent. The Spartans convinced Fears to return for a fourth season after his breakthrough year as their floor general, and a Michigan State team that can realistically reach the Final Four runs through him; Fears averaged 15.2 points and 9.4 assists per game last season.
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Tyran Stokes, Kansas
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Year: Freshman
The potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft doesn’t come with the kind of buzz Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa did, but he will be one of the most compelling players to watch this season. Stokes put up 15 points and seven rebounds in his Jayhawks debut, despite not taking on the massive role he once expected with multiple fifth-year players joining Kansas. If Stokes develops into the force the Jayhawks believe he can be, he could turn Kansas into a Final Four contender.
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John Blackwell
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John Blackwell, Duke
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Year: Fourth-year senior
Duke hasn’t relied too heavily on the transfer portal in the NIL era, but Blackwell was a major addition from Wisconsin after averaging 19.1 points per game last season. The Blue Devils have to sort out how they distribute minutes across a deep roster and determine whether Blackwell can be a true point guard, but he gives Duke a true scorer who can take over a game when he’s hot.
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Nikola Kusturica, UCLA
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Year: Freshman
The freshman class isn’t as well-defined as it was last season, but there is some major upside. 17-year-old Nikola Kusturica, who was born in April 2009, looks like he’s going to be one of the must-watch players. The Serbian forward struggled in UCLA’s opener against Arizona but erupted for 29 points on 10-of-12 from the field against North Florida with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. UCLA won’t play North Florida every night, but Kusturica — who isn’t NBA Draft-eligible until 2028 — has already shown star potential.
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
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Year: Fourth-year senior
Arizona lost plenty from its Final Four team, but the international frontcourt duo of Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov remains intact. It’s already clear those two are going to have to do the heavy lifting for Tommy Lloyd’s squad, and Krivas will be asked to take on the lead role. The Lithuanian-born center averaged 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game last season; if he can take the next step as a scorer, he can be an All-American.
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Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky
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Year: Fourth-year senior
One of the nation’s best shooters, Momcilovic starred at Iowa State last season before pulling out of the NBA Draft and transferring to Kentucky in the spring. Momcolivic shot 48.7 percent from beyond the arc in his final season with the Cyclones, so he will spend the season shooting away for the Wildcats. The question, then, is whether he can give Kentucky anything of value on the defensive end.
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Silas Demary Jr, UConn
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Year: Fourth-year senior
UConn has a remarkably talented roster, but it’s much younger than it was last season. Demary is the exception. The former Georgia guard fit right in last season, averaging 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, but the Huskies are looking for him to take on an increased scoring role this season. If he can meet the moment, Demary has All-American potential for a title contender.
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Thijs De Ridder, Virginia
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Year: Sophomore
Virginia retained an impressive amount of talent, and no piece is more important than Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder. De Ridder shined as a freshman, averaging 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and he picked up right where he left off with a double-double against Arkansas in the Cavaliers’ third game of the season.
Tounde Yessoufou, St. John’s
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Year: Sophomore
Rick Pitino’s roster had major questions before he convinced Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou to pull out of the NBA Draft and transfer to the Big East in the spring. After Yessoufou averaged nearly 18 points and two steals per game as a freshman, he’s already looking efficient and capable for the Johnnies as he leads what Pitino hopes is a Final Four roster.
Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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JT Toppin, Texas Tech
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Year: Junior
All eyes in the Big 12 are on JT Toppin, who will miss the start of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in February. Toppin is aiming for a December return, though it could be until 2027 that he gets back on the court. Once he does, Toppin should again be one of the best forwards in the country and the key to an otherwise guard-heavy Red Raiders team’s hopes.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
