It’s time to name our winners and losers from the transfer portal. This is less about the schools who retained their top pieces like Florida with Thomas Haugh, Illinois with David Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins, or UConn and Braylon Mullins, and more about the schools who are bringing in (or losing) the most top-end talent.
Gonzaga’s shot at making a deep NCAA tournament run ended last year the moment star forward Braden Huff suffered a dislocated kneecap during a Jan. practice. The Zags still won their March Madness opener before falling to Texas in the round of 32, but they didn’t look like the same team. Mark Few has now reloaded for next season after beating out St. John’s for star big man Massamba Diop, who comes over from Arizona State. Size is all the rage in college basketball these days, and almost no one is bigger than the 7’1 Diop. The big man is a stout rim protector, shows surprisingly good touch as a mid-range scorer, and has impressive movement skills for someone his size. Huff’s return should make this one of the best frontcourts in America, and there’s more talent where that came from. Davis Fogle returns after a fantastic close to his freshman year, and the 6’7 wing could be in line for a big sophomore leap. Former McDonald’s All-American guard Isiah Harwell transferred in from Houston to give the offense a shot in the arm, while Spanish guard Mario Saint-Supery also returns after hitting 40 percent of his threes and flashing impressive playmaking chops as a freshman. Add in German guard Jack Kayil, and Few looks like he could have a Final Four caliber team once again.
Mark Pope bet it all on Tyran Stokes, and went bust. The Kentucky coach reportedly prioritized the No. 1 overall recruit over other bluechip freshmen he might have had a better shot at, and after Stokes picked Kansas, the Wildcats are scrambling for answers. Kentucky brought in a couple solid guards in the portal in Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins, but both like to play with the ball in their hands and have limited shooting ability. I’m not convinced they’re a good fit together. Getting center Malachi Moreno back for his sophomore year will be critical, but he’s testing the NBA draft process right now. I was high on the addition of Kam Williams in the transfer portal a year ago, but he didn’t do much. Williams is back, and Pope will need to get a much better season out of him this year. Can Braydon Hawthorne be an instant impact freshman despite being ranked outside the top-30 for the incoming class? Can Pope throw a bag at Milan Momcilovic to convince him to abandon his NBA dreams and transfer in from Iowa State? Getting Momcilovic, arguably the best shooter in college basketball, would be a huge boon. Until then, Kentucky feels like it has an uphill battle just to make the NCAA tournament. The pressure is on Mark Pope, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is his last year in Lexington.
As Kentucky foundered in the portal, their in-state rival hit the ground running with a plan, and executed it at a high level. Louisville had the best transfer portal haul in the country even before they brought in Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras. Folgueiras is a 6’10 stretch four with a good feel for the game who projects as a perfect match in the frontcourt next to the Cardinals’ priciest addition. Flory Bidunga felt ticketed for the 2026 NBA Draft as a borderline first-round pick, but Louisville out-bid the NBA to likely bring him back to college in the transfer portal. He’s still testing the draft process but everyone expects him to play with the Cardinals next year. Louisville also landed shot-making Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, athletic Arkansas Karter Knox, and retained guard Adrian Wooley Jr. I feel like this team could really use a pure point guard to set up the bouncy Bidunga for lobs around the basket, and that’s the only thing they’re missing. Otherwise, this team is stacked with veteran talent, and the pieces should fit well together. I’d expect nothing less than a second-weekend tournament run from the Cards, and they have the talent to go even deeper than that.
Yes, I know it’s weird to name Kentucky a loser for missing out on Stokes, and then also name Kansas a loser after they landed him. Stokes is the most talented freshman in the country and should be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. I’ve been a big fan for a long time. There are still some questions about how he translates to college, and I feel like he has more questions than Darryn Peterson did a year ago at this point, and we all know how that turned out. For as great as Stokes can be, this is mostly about Kansas’ lack of success in the portal. Losing Bidunga really hurts, and there’s no question the Jayhawks will be downgrading at center this year whether they’re starting Paul Mbiya or College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves. Losing Bryson Tiller to Missouri is another big blow in my eyes, though he never graded out particularly well in the best metrics. The Jayhawks’ two other portal additions — 6’1 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden and 6’9 Utah forward Keanu Dawes — are solid, but forgive me for expecting a little more from Kansas. I see this KU team as slightly worse than last year’s group that lost in the round of 32. Kansas can make me look dumb if Stokes looks like a top-10 player in the country, if Kohl Rosario takes a big sophomore leap, and if one of the bigs blossoms. I feel like it’s just going to take a lot to go right for it all to come together.
Texas’ Sweet 16 run this past season was a true stunner after entering Selection Sunday on the bubble. No one will be surprised if the Longhorns go even deeper next season. Sean Miller crushed the portal by landing impact talents across the positional spectrum, and it could set up his team to challenge for the SEC crown. After retaining 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis in the middle, Texas added a rugged frontcourt partner in David Punch who should help defensively, on the glass, and with his interior scoring. Isaiah Johnson comes over from Colorado to lead the front court after showing off three-level scoring ability in his freshman season, and Mikey Lewis joins from St. Mary’s to add more shooting next to him. Elyjah Freeman is a long, athletic wing bursting with upside after a solid season at Auburn after transferring in from D2, and should be a critical perimeter defender and transition scoring threat. Add in five-star freshman Austin Goosby in the backcourt, and Texas has a lottery-level talent on the team, too. The Longhorns have always been considered a sleeping giant, and Miller has them awake. Next season’s team is going to be very, very good.
Tennessee almost always has an elite defense with a slightly underwhelming offense under Rick Barnes, but the Vols have had more balance in recent years with three straight finishes in the top-31 of offensive efficiency. It’s no surprise that more scoring power has helped the Vols get to three straight Elite Eights, but now Barnes wants to take the next step. Tennessee’s six-man class adds shooting, ball handling, and should still have enough rim protection on defense. Terrence Hill Jr. was an electric sixth man at VCU last year who hit one of the biggest shots of the NCAA tournament, and he’s about to step into a primary scoring role at Tennessee, where he should blossom. Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames adds another ball handler and playmaker to take pressure off Hill, while Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade adds an elite 43.5 percent three-point shooter on the wing. Jalen Haralson is a high-upside forward who needs to show more defensive grit than he did as a freshman at Notre Dame, but he could lead this team in scoring. Miles Rubin comes over from Loyola-Chicago as a rim protector and lob catcher. This team projects to be better at offense than defense, which never happens at Tennessee. If Barnes can coach them up on the defensive end, look out.
Micah Shrewsberry is on the hot seat after three seasons with three sub .500 finishes, and his work in the portal this year shouldn’t inspire much confidence that things will be better next season. Notre Dame lost its two most promising players in the portal when Haralson committed to Tennessee and Markus Burton left for Indiana. Shrewsberry rebounded with former Gonzaga guard Braeden Smith and 6’10 Winthrop transfer Logan Duncomb, but it feels like he doesn’t have enough talent to compete in an improved ACC. Notre Dame needs more investment in men’s basketball if they want to reach the heights of the Mike Brey era again, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen next season.
North Carolina shocked the college basketball world by hiring former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone. Malone brings championship credentials to Chapel Hill, but his transition to college basketball will be fascinating. UNC appears to have lost big man Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft, and that one stings. The Tar Heels were also expected to have potential 2027 top-5 pick Dylan Mingo in the backcourt, but he left for Baylor after Malone was hired. Instead, this roster was entirely remade in the transfer portal, and I could see it going either way. Neoklis Avdalas looked like an NBA lottery pick at times during his freshman season at Virginia Tech last year, but he struggled against good competition and completely lost his NBA momentum. He’s a tantalizing talent as a 6’9 ball handler with pull-up shooting ability, but his scoring efficiency and defense were rough last time we saw him. Matt Able is a promising addition from NC State assuming he opts out of the NBA Draft, and he’ll add microwave scoring ability. Utah transfer Terrence Brown will be an important veteran guard, and retaining forward Jarin Stevenson was a good move, too. The real swing piece is Sayon Keita, a 6’11 big man who comes over from Barcelona. Keita is only 18 years old, but he would have been the top center in the freshman class if international players counted. Keita is a major talent with length, ground coverage, and finishing ability, but is he ready to make an instant impact? Avdalas probably has to make a star turn for this team to be really good, and Keita needs to pop, too. I could see it happening, but it doesn’t feel like a safe bet.
It’s time to name our winners and losers from the transfer portal. This is less about the schools who retained their top pieces like Florida with Thomas Haugh, Illinois with David Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins, or UConn and Braylon Mullins, and more about the schools who are bringing in (or losing) the most top-end talent.
Gonzaga’s shot at making a deep NCAA tournament run ended last year the moment star forward Braden Huff suffered a dislocated kneecap during a Jan. practice. The Zags still won their March Madness opener before falling to Texas in the round of 32, but they didn’t look like the same team. Mark Few has now reloaded for next season after beating out St. John’s for star big man Massamba Diop, who comes over from Arizona State. Size is all the rage in college basketball these days, and almost no one is bigger than the 7’1 Diop. The big man is a stout rim protector, shows surprisingly good touch as a mid-range scorer, and has impressive movement skills for someone his size. Huff’s return should make this one of the best frontcourts in America, and there’s more talent where that came from. Davis Fogle returns after a fantastic close to his freshman year, and the 6’7 wing could be in line for a big sophomore leap. Former McDonald’s All-American guard Isiah Harwell transferred in from Houston to give the offense a shot in the arm, while Spanish guard Mario Saint-Supery also returns after hitting 40 percent of his threes and flashing impressive playmaking chops as a freshman. Add in German guard Jack Kayil, and Few looks like he could have a Final Four caliber team once again.
Mark Pope bet it all on Tyran Stokes, and went bust. The Kentucky coach reportedly prioritized the No. 1 overall recruit over other bluechip freshmen he might have had a better shot at, and after Stokes picked Kansas, the Wildcats are scrambling for answers. Kentucky brought in a couple solid guards in the portal in Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins, but both like to play with the ball in their hands and have limited shooting ability. I’m not convinced they’re a good fit together. Getting center Malachi Moreno back for his sophomore year will be critical, but he’s testing the NBA draft process right now. I was high on the addition of Kam Williams in the transfer portal a year ago, but he didn’t do much. Williams is back, and Pope will need to get a much better season out of him this year. Can Braydon Hawthorne be an instant impact freshman despite being ranked outside the top-30 for the incoming class? Can Pope throw a bag at Milan Momcilovic to convince him to abandon his NBA dreams and transfer in from Iowa State? Getting Momcilovic, arguably the best shooter in college basketball, would be a huge boon. Until then, Kentucky feels like it has an uphill battle just to make the NCAA tournament. The pressure is on Mark Pope, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is his last year in Lexington.
As Kentucky foundered in the portal, their in-state rival hit the ground running with a plan, and executed it at a high level. Louisville had the best transfer portal haul in the country even before they brought in Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras. Folgueiras is a 6’10 stretch four with a good feel for the game who projects as a perfect match in the frontcourt next to the Cardinals’ priciest addition. Flory Bidunga felt ticketed for the 2026 NBA Draft as a borderline first-round pick, but Louisville out-bid the NBA to likely bring him back to college in the transfer portal. He’s still testing the draft process but everyone expects him to play with the Cardinals next year. Louisville also landed shot-making Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, athletic Arkansas Karter Knox, and retained guard Adrian Wooley Jr. I feel like this team could really use a pure point guard to set up the bouncy Bidunga for lobs around the basket, and that’s the only thing they’re missing. Otherwise, this team is stacked with veteran talent, and the pieces should fit well together. I’d expect nothing less than a second-weekend tournament run from the Cards, and they have the talent to go even deeper than that.
Yes, I know it’s weird to name Kentucky a loser for missing out on Stokes, and then also name Kansas a loser after they landed him. Stokes is the most talented freshman in the country and should be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. I’ve been a big fan for a long time. There are still some questions about how he translates to college, and I feel like he has more questions than Darryn Peterson did a year ago at this point, and we all know how that turned out. For as great as Stokes can be, this is mostly about Kansas’ lack of success in the portal. Losing Bidunga really hurts, and there’s no question the Jayhawks will be downgrading at center this year whether they’re starting Paul Mbiya or College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves. Losing Bryson Tiller to Missouri is another big blow in my eyes, though he never graded out particularly well in the best metrics. The Jayhawks’ two other portal additions — 6’1 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden and 6’9 Utah forward Keanu Dawes — are solid, but forgive me for expecting a little more from Kansas. I see this KU team as slightly worse than last year’s group that lost in the round of 32. Kansas can make me look dumb if Stokes looks like a top-10 player in the country, if Kohl Rosario takes a big sophomore leap, and if one of the bigs blossoms. I feel like it’s just going to take a lot to go right for it all to come together.
Texas’ Sweet 16 run this past season was a true stunner after entering Selection Sunday on the bubble. No one will be surprised if the Longhorns go even deeper next season. Sean Miller crushed the portal by landing impact talents across the positional spectrum, and it could set up his team to challenge for the SEC crown. After retaining 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis in the middle, Texas added a rugged frontcourt partner in David Punch who should help defensively, on the glass, and with his interior scoring. Isaiah Johnson comes over from Colorado to lead the front court after showing off three-level scoring ability in his freshman season, and Mikey Lewis joins from St. Mary’s to add more shooting next to him. Elyjah Freeman is a long, athletic wing bursting with upside after a solid season at Auburn after transferring in from D2, and should be a critical perimeter defender and transition scoring threat. Add in five-star freshman Austin Goosby in the backcourt, and Texas has a lottery-level talent on the team, too. The Longhorns have always been considered a sleeping giant, and Miller has them awake. Next season’s team is going to be very, very good.
Tennessee almost always has an elite defense with a slightly underwhelming offense under Rick Barnes, but the Vols have had more balance in recent years with three straight finishes in the top-31 of offensive efficiency. It’s no surprise that more scoring power has helped the Vols get to three straight Elite Eights, but now Barnes wants to take the next step. Tennessee’s six-man class adds shooting, ball handling, and should still have enough rim protection on defense. Terrence Hill Jr. was an electric sixth man at VCU last year who hit one of the biggest shots of the NCAA tournament, and he’s about to step into a primary scoring role at Tennessee, where he should blossom. Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames adds another ball handler and playmaker to take pressure off Hill, while Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade adds an elite 43.5 percent three-point shooter on the wing. Jalen Haralson is a high-upside forward who needs to show more defensive grit than he did as a freshman at Notre Dame, but he could lead this team in scoring. Miles Rubin comes over from Loyola-Chicago as a rim protector and lob catcher. This team projects to be better at offense than defense, which never happens at Tennessee. If Barnes can coach them up on the defensive end, look out.
Micah Shrewsberry is on the hot seat after three seasons with three sub .500 finishes, and his work in the portal this year shouldn’t inspire much confidence that things will be better next season. Notre Dame lost its two most promising players in the portal when Haralson committed to Tennessee and Markus Burton left for Indiana. Shrewsberry rebounded with former Gonzaga guard Braeden Smith and 6’10 Winthrop transfer Logan Duncomb, but it feels like he doesn’t have enough talent to compete in an improved ACC. Notre Dame needs more investment in men’s basketball if they want to reach the heights of the Mike Brey era again, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen next season.
North Carolina shocked the college basketball world by hiring former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone. Malone brings championship credentials to Chapel Hill, but his transition to college basketball will be fascinating. UNC appears to have lost big man Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft, and that one stings. The Tar Heels were also expected to have potential 2027 top-5 pick Dylan Mingo in the backcourt, but he left for Baylor after Malone was hired. Instead, this roster was entirely remade in the transfer portal, and I could see it going either way. Neoklis Avdalas looked like an NBA lottery pick at times during his freshman season at Virginia Tech last year, but he struggled against good competition and completely lost his NBA momentum. He’s a tantalizing talent as a 6’9 ball handler with pull-up shooting ability, but his scoring efficiency and defense were rough last time we saw him. Matt Able is a promising addition from NC State assuming he opts out of the NBA Draft, and he’ll add microwave scoring ability. Utah transfer Terrence Brown will be an important veteran guard, and retaining forward Jarin Stevenson was a good move, too. The real swing piece is Sayon Keita, a 6’11 big man who comes over from Barcelona. Keita is only 18 years old, but he would have been the top center in the freshman class if international players counted. Keita is a major talent with length, ground coverage, and finishing ability, but is he ready to make an instant impact? Avdalas probably has to make a star turn for this team to be really good, and Keita needs to pop, too. I could see it happening, but it doesn’t feel like a safe bet.
#College #basketball #mens #transfer #portals #winners #losers #wildcard">College basketball men’s transfer portal’s 4 winners, 3 losers, and 1 wildcard
The reality of modern college basketball is that every player is a free agent at the end of each season. To compete for a national championship, it isn’t enough to simply out-bid the NBA to keep a star on campus. A program also has to convince its best players to stay out of the transfer portal, and then handpick the right pieces to push its returning core to the next level. Michigan did it all flawlessly this past season to cut down the nets, but every year is a new challenge with different kinds of talent available on the marketplace.
It’s time to name our winners and losers from the transfer portal. This is less about the schools who retained their top pieces like Florida with Thomas Haugh, Illinois with David Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins, or UConn and Braylon Mullins, and more about the schools who are bringing in (or losing) the most top-end talent.
Gonzaga’s shot at making a deep NCAA tournament run ended last year the moment star forward Braden Huff suffered a dislocated kneecap during a Jan. practice. The Zags still won their March Madness opener before falling to Texas in the round of 32, but they didn’t look like the same team. Mark Few has now reloaded for next season after beating out St. John’s for star big man Massamba Diop, who comes over from Arizona State. Size is all the rage in college basketball these days, and almost no one is bigger than the 7’1 Diop. The big man is a stout rim protector, shows surprisingly good touch as a mid-range scorer, and has impressive movement skills for someone his size. Huff’s return should make this one of the best frontcourts in America, and there’s more talent where that came from. Davis Fogle returns after a fantastic close to his freshman year, and the 6’7 wing could be in line for a big sophomore leap. Former McDonald’s All-American guard Isiah Harwell transferred in from Houston to give the offense a shot in the arm, while Spanish guard Mario Saint-Supery also returns after hitting 40 percent of his threes and flashing impressive playmaking chops as a freshman. Add in German guard Jack Kayil, and Few looks like he could have a Final Four caliber team once again.
Mark Pope bet it all on Tyran Stokes, and went bust. The Kentucky coach reportedly prioritized the No. 1 overall recruit over other bluechip freshmen he might have had a better shot at, and after Stokes picked Kansas, the Wildcats are scrambling for answers. Kentucky brought in a couple solid guards in the portal in Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins, but both like to play with the ball in their hands and have limited shooting ability. I’m not convinced they’re a good fit together. Getting center Malachi Moreno back for his sophomore year will be critical, but he’s testing the NBA draft process right now. I was high on the addition of Kam Williams in the transfer portal a year ago, but he didn’t do much. Williams is back, and Pope will need to get a much better season out of him this year. Can Braydon Hawthorne be an instant impact freshman despite being ranked outside the top-30 for the incoming class? Can Pope throw a bag at Milan Momcilovic to convince him to abandon his NBA dreams and transfer in from Iowa State? Getting Momcilovic, arguably the best shooter in college basketball, would be a huge boon. Until then, Kentucky feels like it has an uphill battle just to make the NCAA tournament. The pressure is on Mark Pope, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is his last year in Lexington.
As Kentucky foundered in the portal, their in-state rival hit the ground running with a plan, and executed it at a high level. Louisville had the best transfer portal haul in the country even before they brought in Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras. Folgueiras is a 6’10 stretch four with a good feel for the game who projects as a perfect match in the frontcourt next to the Cardinals’ priciest addition. Flory Bidunga felt ticketed for the 2026 NBA Draft as a borderline first-round pick, but Louisville out-bid the NBA to likely bring him back to college in the transfer portal. He’s still testing the draft process but everyone expects him to play with the Cardinals next year. Louisville also landed shot-making Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, athletic Arkansas Karter Knox, and retained guard Adrian Wooley Jr. I feel like this team could really use a pure point guard to set up the bouncy Bidunga for lobs around the basket, and that’s the only thing they’re missing. Otherwise, this team is stacked with veteran talent, and the pieces should fit well together. I’d expect nothing less than a second-weekend tournament run from the Cards, and they have the talent to go even deeper than that.
Yes, I know it’s weird to name Kentucky a loser for missing out on Stokes, and then also name Kansas a loser after they landed him. Stokes is the most talented freshman in the country and should be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. I’ve been a big fan for a long time. There are still some questions about how he translates to college, and I feel like he has more questions than Darryn Peterson did a year ago at this point, and we all know how that turned out. For as great as Stokes can be, this is mostly about Kansas’ lack of success in the portal. Losing Bidunga really hurts, and there’s no question the Jayhawks will be downgrading at center this year whether they’re starting Paul Mbiya or College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves. Losing Bryson Tiller to Missouri is another big blow in my eyes, though he never graded out particularly well in the best metrics. The Jayhawks’ two other portal additions — 6’1 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden and 6’9 Utah forward Keanu Dawes — are solid, but forgive me for expecting a little more from Kansas. I see this KU team as slightly worse than last year’s group that lost in the round of 32. Kansas can make me look dumb if Stokes looks like a top-10 player in the country, if Kohl Rosario takes a big sophomore leap, and if one of the bigs blossoms. I feel like it’s just going to take a lot to go right for it all to come together.
Texas’ Sweet 16 run this past season was a true stunner after entering Selection Sunday on the bubble. No one will be surprised if the Longhorns go even deeper next season. Sean Miller crushed the portal by landing impact talents across the positional spectrum, and it could set up his team to challenge for the SEC crown. After retaining 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis in the middle, Texas added a rugged frontcourt partner in David Punch who should help defensively, on the glass, and with his interior scoring. Isaiah Johnson comes over from Colorado to lead the front court after showing off three-level scoring ability in his freshman season, and Mikey Lewis joins from St. Mary’s to add more shooting next to him. Elyjah Freeman is a long, athletic wing bursting with upside after a solid season at Auburn after transferring in from D2, and should be a critical perimeter defender and transition scoring threat. Add in five-star freshman Austin Goosby in the backcourt, and Texas has a lottery-level talent on the team, too. The Longhorns have always been considered a sleeping giant, and Miller has them awake. Next season’s team is going to be very, very good.
Tennessee almost always has an elite defense with a slightly underwhelming offense under Rick Barnes, but the Vols have had more balance in recent years with three straight finishes in the top-31 of offensive efficiency. It’s no surprise that more scoring power has helped the Vols get to three straight Elite Eights, but now Barnes wants to take the next step. Tennessee’s six-man class adds shooting, ball handling, and should still have enough rim protection on defense. Terrence Hill Jr. was an electric sixth man at VCU last year who hit one of the biggest shots of the NCAA tournament, and he’s about to step into a primary scoring role at Tennessee, where he should blossom. Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames adds another ball handler and playmaker to take pressure off Hill, while Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade adds an elite 43.5 percent three-point shooter on the wing. Jalen Haralson is a high-upside forward who needs to show more defensive grit than he did as a freshman at Notre Dame, but he could lead this team in scoring. Miles Rubin comes over from Loyola-Chicago as a rim protector and lob catcher. This team projects to be better at offense than defense, which never happens at Tennessee. If Barnes can coach them up on the defensive end, look out.
Micah Shrewsberry is on the hot seat after three seasons with three sub .500 finishes, and his work in the portal this year shouldn’t inspire much confidence that things will be better next season. Notre Dame lost its two most promising players in the portal when Haralson committed to Tennessee and Markus Burton left for Indiana. Shrewsberry rebounded with former Gonzaga guard Braeden Smith and 6’10 Winthrop transfer Logan Duncomb, but it feels like he doesn’t have enough talent to compete in an improved ACC. Notre Dame needs more investment in men’s basketball if they want to reach the heights of the Mike Brey era again, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen next season.
North Carolina shocked the college basketball world by hiring former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone. Malone brings championship credentials to Chapel Hill, but his transition to college basketball will be fascinating. UNC appears to have lost big man Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft, and that one stings. The Tar Heels were also expected to have potential 2027 top-5 pick Dylan Mingo in the backcourt, but he left for Baylor after Malone was hired. Instead, this roster was entirely remade in the transfer portal, and I could see it going either way. Neoklis Avdalas looked like an NBA lottery pick at times during his freshman season at Virginia Tech last year, but he struggled against good competition and completely lost his NBA momentum. He’s a tantalizing talent as a 6’9 ball handler with pull-up shooting ability, but his scoring efficiency and defense were rough last time we saw him. Matt Able is a promising addition from NC State assuming he opts out of the NBA Draft, and he’ll add microwave scoring ability. Utah transfer Terrence Brown will be an important veteran guard, and retaining forward Jarin Stevenson was a good move, too. The real swing piece is Sayon Keita, a 6’11 big man who comes over from Barcelona. Keita is only 18 years old, but he would have been the top center in the freshman class if international players counted. Keita is a major talent with length, ground coverage, and finishing ability, but is he ready to make an instant impact? Avdalas probably has to make a star turn for this team to be really good, and Keita needs to pop, too. I could see it happening, but it doesn’t feel like a safe bet.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments to 76 teams. The expansion is on track to be formalized in the upcoming weeks, and the new 76-team tournament formats will begin next year.
The news was met with the same reaction we’ve seen every time the idea of tournament expansion has been floated: Near universal disapproval.
While not unexpected at this point, messing with the least flawed postseason in all of American sports remains inexplicable and indefensible.
Outside of a handful of head coaches, athletic directors and television executives who stand to personally (but not sizably) benefit from this, nobody associated with college basketball wants this to happen.
Fans of the sport absolutely despise the idea. Media members who cover the sport mostly feel the same. The NCAA Tournament is already the most popular postseason in American sports. There’s no obvious competitive reason for the change. And in an era where massive change is driven by money and virtually nothing else, the financial implications of expansion would seem to be minimal when put up against the pushback from just about everyone who cares about March Madness.
There is simply no logical defense when it comes to messing with one of the few things in sports that just about everyone agrees shouldn’t be messed with it.
Side note: The irony of all ironies here is that if you polled every college basketball fan in the world and asked them what they would do to change the NCAA Tournament before the better, the most common response you would undoubtedly get would be to DECREASE the field back to 64 teams like it was from 1985-2001.
Despite its best efforts over decades littered with ineptitude and head-scratching decisions, the NCAA has consistently done one thing well: Organize a tournament that captivates the American public like few other things can for three weeks ever March/early April. The event brings in about a billion dollars a year for the NCAA, a total which accounts for right around 90 percent of the entity’s annual revenue.
You would think those two sentences would be more than enough reason to leave well enough alone, and yet here we are.
The most logical explanation for why, despite everything, expansion seems inevitable revolves around greed. No amount of money is ever enough, which is why college basketball fans are going to be force fed multiple tournament games featuring power conference teams with losing conference records playing ugly basketball in front of small crowds starting in March of 2027.
The problem with this argument is that the financial benefits of tournament expansion really aren’t that great.
The current television rights agreement between CBS Sports/TNT Sports and the NCAA runs through the 2032 tournament, and the addition of any early round games would have little to no bearing on that deal.
“Right now there’s no guarantee there’s any additional revenue,” one commissioner told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander last fall. “One of the main sticking points is that without more revenue, how do you pay for more games? How do you pay for more travel? How do you pay for more expenses of an expanded tournament? And on the flip side of it, if you expand, you’re devaluing basketball units at that point. Without more revenue it creates more problems.”
Adding to the point: The current television ratings for the four “First Four” games that are played in Dayton each year on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the “real” tournament starts are … not great. The numbers belabor the point that the 2001 move from 64 to 65 teams — a move made because power conference officials didn’t want to lose an at-large bid after a handful of teams left the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference — was the original minor sin that is now on the verge of blossoming into a deadly sin.
March Madness fanatics are willing to ignore the TruTV contests, and will even fill out brackets on Sunday-Wednesday of tournament week without knowing (or caring) who is going to win the four games in Dayton, but the early round becomes almost impossible to ignore when the number of teams participating jumps from four to 12.
And those games? They aren’t going to be pretty.
It’s almost too gross to look at.
The biggest argument in favor of tournament expansion surrounds the idea of access.
There are 365 teams in the sport.
Great power conference teams are left out every year.
Look at UCLA in 2021 and VCU in 20111.
This will get more mid-majors into the field.
Why are people so mad about more basketball?
Let’s be clear: This has never been about access.
No major American sport has greater access to its ultimate postseason than college basketball does. The reason? Conference tournaments.
Almost every team in Division-I college basketball automatically qualifies for its conference tournament, which means almost every team in Division-I college basketball has the opportunity at the end of its season to play until it loses.
Had an injured star player in the first half of the season who tanked your tournament resume? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance. Had some chemistry issues early on that got fixed in the second half of the season? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance. Played horrible basketball for absolutely no logical reason for the first three months of the season but are now playing splendidly? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance.
The power conference head coaches and administrators who seem to be the only ones in favor this will tell you that this is a numbers game. More and more teams keep making the jump to D-I, and because of that, bids are being taken away from some of the best power conference teams in the sport. Oh, and those mid-major Cinderellas you guys love so much? They’re also getting less of a chance to shine.
It’s a disingenuous argument on both fronts.
Sure, the Division-I level of college basketball has been adding teams on a consistent basis for decades now, but over that time, the stranglehold that power conference teams have had on bids to the Big Dance has only grown stronger.
Over the last 10 years, a total of 362 NCAA Tournament at-large bids have been handed out. Out of those 362, 304 of them went to schools in a power conference. That’s 83 percent. If you can’t get your power conference program into the field of 68 over the course of 3-5 years, you probably deserve to have your job performance questioned.
Three of the first four teams left out of last year’s NCAA Tournament were power conference squads Indiana, Auburn and Seton Hall. The fourth was the Mountain West’s San Diego State, a team from the best conference outside of the sport’s Power 5.
Make no mistake about it, these new early round games will be loaded with power conference teams that have records right around .500 and have spent the previous four months proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are too average to compete for the sport’s biggest prize. We didn’t need to see Indiana versus Auburn last month. We saw more than enough from both teams between November and February to know exactly who they were.
No one is claiming that this is a change that’s going to make college basketball diehards or casual March Madness bracket fillers abandon the event entirely. It’s just going to make every aspect of the event a little bit worse. The build-up to March will be a little bit more dull. The two weeks of conference tournament action will be a little less exciting. Filling out a bracket will be a decent bit more tedious. The added games themselves will be overwhelmingly forgettable. And all this will happen for no justifiable reason.
For years, college basketball fans have fretted over the powers that be within the NCAA eventually screwing up the one and only thing they consistently get right. We appear to be on the precipice of their latest attempt to do just that.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments to 76 teams. The expansion is on track to be formalized in the upcoming weeks, and the new 76-team tournament formats will begin next year.
The news was met with the same reaction we’ve seen every time the idea of tournament expansion has been floated: Near universal disapproval.
While not unexpected at this point, messing with the least flawed postseason in all of American sports remains inexplicable and indefensible.
Outside of a handful of head coaches, athletic directors and television executives who stand to personally (but not sizably) benefit from this, nobody associated with college basketball wants this to happen.
Fans of the sport absolutely despise the idea. Media members who cover the sport mostly feel the same. The NCAA Tournament is already the most popular postseason in American sports. There’s no obvious competitive reason for the change. And in an era where massive change is driven by money and virtually nothing else, the financial implications of expansion would seem to be minimal when put up against the pushback from just about everyone who cares about March Madness.
There is simply no logical defense when it comes to messing with one of the few things in sports that just about everyone agrees shouldn’t be messed with it.
Side note: The irony of all ironies here is that if you polled every college basketball fan in the world and asked them what they would do to change the NCAA Tournament before the better, the most common response you would undoubtedly get would be to DECREASE the field back to 64 teams like it was from 1985-2001.
Despite its best efforts over decades littered with ineptitude and head-scratching decisions, the NCAA has consistently done one thing well: Organize a tournament that captivates the American public like few other things can for three weeks ever March/early April. The event brings in about a billion dollars a year for the NCAA, a total which accounts for right around 90 percent of the entity’s annual revenue.
You would think those two sentences would be more than enough reason to leave well enough alone, and yet here we are.
The most logical explanation for why, despite everything, expansion seems inevitable revolves around greed. No amount of money is ever enough, which is why college basketball fans are going to be force fed multiple tournament games featuring power conference teams with losing conference records playing ugly basketball in front of small crowds starting in March of 2027.
The problem with this argument is that the financial benefits of tournament expansion really aren’t that great.
The current television rights agreement between CBS Sports/TNT Sports and the NCAA runs through the 2032 tournament, and the addition of any early round games would have little to no bearing on that deal.
“Right now there’s no guarantee there’s any additional revenue,” one commissioner told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander last fall. “One of the main sticking points is that without more revenue, how do you pay for more games? How do you pay for more travel? How do you pay for more expenses of an expanded tournament? And on the flip side of it, if you expand, you’re devaluing basketball units at that point. Without more revenue it creates more problems.”
Adding to the point: The current television ratings for the four “First Four” games that are played in Dayton each year on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the “real” tournament starts are … not great. The numbers belabor the point that the 2001 move from 64 to 65 teams — a move made because power conference officials didn’t want to lose an at-large bid after a handful of teams left the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference — was the original minor sin that is now on the verge of blossoming into a deadly sin.
March Madness fanatics are willing to ignore the TruTV contests, and will even fill out brackets on Sunday-Wednesday of tournament week without knowing (or caring) who is going to win the four games in Dayton, but the early round becomes almost impossible to ignore when the number of teams participating jumps from four to 12.
And those games? They aren’t going to be pretty.
It’s almost too gross to look at.
The biggest argument in favor of tournament expansion surrounds the idea of access.
There are 365 teams in the sport.
Great power conference teams are left out every year.
Look at UCLA in 2021 and VCU in 20111.
This will get more mid-majors into the field.
Why are people so mad about more basketball?
Let’s be clear: This has never been about access.
No major American sport has greater access to its ultimate postseason than college basketball does. The reason? Conference tournaments.
Almost every team in Division-I college basketball automatically qualifies for its conference tournament, which means almost every team in Division-I college basketball has the opportunity at the end of its season to play until it loses.
Had an injured star player in the first half of the season who tanked your tournament resume? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance. Had some chemistry issues early on that got fixed in the second half of the season? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance. Played horrible basketball for absolutely no logical reason for the first three months of the season but are now playing splendidly? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance.
The power conference head coaches and administrators who seem to be the only ones in favor this will tell you that this is a numbers game. More and more teams keep making the jump to D-I, and because of that, bids are being taken away from some of the best power conference teams in the sport. Oh, and those mid-major Cinderellas you guys love so much? They’re also getting less of a chance to shine.
It’s a disingenuous argument on both fronts.
Sure, the Division-I level of college basketball has been adding teams on a consistent basis for decades now, but over that time, the stranglehold that power conference teams have had on bids to the Big Dance has only grown stronger.
Over the last 10 years, a total of 362 NCAA Tournament at-large bids have been handed out. Out of those 362, 304 of them went to schools in a power conference. That’s 83 percent. If you can’t get your power conference program into the field of 68 over the course of 3-5 years, you probably deserve to have your job performance questioned.
Three of the first four teams left out of last year’s NCAA Tournament were power conference squads Indiana, Auburn and Seton Hall. The fourth was the Mountain West’s San Diego State, a team from the best conference outside of the sport’s Power 5.
Make no mistake about it, these new early round games will be loaded with power conference teams that have records right around .500 and have spent the previous four months proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are too average to compete for the sport’s biggest prize. We didn’t need to see Indiana versus Auburn last month. We saw more than enough from both teams between November and February to know exactly who they were.
No one is claiming that this is a change that’s going to make college basketball diehards or casual March Madness bracket fillers abandon the event entirely. It’s just going to make every aspect of the event a little bit worse. The build-up to March will be a little bit more dull. The two weeks of conference tournament action will be a little less exciting. Filling out a bracket will be a decent bit more tedious. The added games themselves will be overwhelmingly forgettable. And all this will happen for no justifiable reason.
For years, college basketball fans have fretted over the powers that be within the NCAA eventually screwing up the one and only thing they consistently get right. We appear to be on the precipice of their latest attempt to do just that.
#March #Madness #expansion #absolutely #coming">The March Madness expansion that absolutely no one wants is coming in 2027
The seemingly inevitable change that absolutely nobody wants appears to be coming in 2027.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments to 76 teams. The expansion is on track to be formalized in the upcoming weeks, and the new 76-team tournament formats will begin next year.
The news was met with the same reaction we’ve seen every time the idea of tournament expansion has been floated: Near universal disapproval.
While not unexpected at this point, messing with the least flawed postseason in all of American sports remains inexplicable and indefensible.
Outside of a handful of head coaches, athletic directors and television executives who stand to personally (but not sizably) benefit from this, nobody associated with college basketball wants this to happen.
Fans of the sport absolutely despise the idea. Media members who cover the sport mostly feel the same. The NCAA Tournament is already the most popular postseason in American sports. There’s no obvious competitive reason for the change. And in an era where massive change is driven by money and virtually nothing else, the financial implications of expansion would seem to be minimal when put up against the pushback from just about everyone who cares about March Madness.
There is simply no logical defense when it comes to messing with one of the few things in sports that just about everyone agrees shouldn’t be messed with it.
Side note: The irony of all ironies here is that if you polled every college basketball fan in the world and asked them what they would do to change the NCAA Tournament before the better, the most common response you would undoubtedly get would be to DECREASE the field back to 64 teams like it was from 1985-2001.
Despite its best efforts over decades littered with ineptitude and head-scratching decisions, the NCAA has consistently done one thing well: Organize a tournament that captivates the American public like few other things can for three weeks ever March/early April. The event brings in about a billion dollars a year for the NCAA, a total which accounts for right around 90 percent of the entity’s annual revenue.
You would think those two sentences would be more than enough reason to leave well enough alone, and yet here we are.
The most logical explanation for why, despite everything, expansion seems inevitable revolves around greed. No amount of money is ever enough, which is why college basketball fans are going to be force fed multiple tournament games featuring power conference teams with losing conference records playing ugly basketball in front of small crowds starting in March of 2027.
The problem with this argument is that the financial benefits of tournament expansion really aren’t that great.
The current television rights agreement between CBS Sports/TNT Sports and the NCAA runs through the 2032 tournament, and the addition of any early round games would have little to no bearing on that deal.
“Right now there’s no guarantee there’s any additional revenue,” one commissioner told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander last fall. “One of the main sticking points is that without more revenue, how do you pay for more games? How do you pay for more travel? How do you pay for more expenses of an expanded tournament? And on the flip side of it, if you expand, you’re devaluing basketball units at that point. Without more revenue it creates more problems.”
Adding to the point: The current television ratings for the four “First Four” games that are played in Dayton each year on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the “real” tournament starts are … not great. The numbers belabor the point that the 2001 move from 64 to 65 teams — a move made because power conference officials didn’t want to lose an at-large bid after a handful of teams left the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference — was the original minor sin that is now on the verge of blossoming into a deadly sin.
March Madness fanatics are willing to ignore the TruTV contests, and will even fill out brackets on Sunday-Wednesday of tournament week without knowing (or caring) who is going to win the four games in Dayton, but the early round becomes almost impossible to ignore when the number of teams participating jumps from four to 12.
And those games? They aren’t going to be pretty.
It’s almost too gross to look at.
The biggest argument in favor of tournament expansion surrounds the idea of access.
There are 365 teams in the sport.
Great power conference teams are left out every year.
Look at UCLA in 2021 and VCU in 20111.
This will get more mid-majors into the field.
Why are people so mad about more basketball?
Let’s be clear: This has never been about access.
No major American sport has greater access to its ultimate postseason than college basketball does. The reason? Conference tournaments.
Almost every team in Division-I college basketball automatically qualifies for its conference tournament, which means almost every team in Division-I college basketball has the opportunity at the end of its season to play until it loses.
Had an injured star player in the first half of the season who tanked your tournament resume? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance. Had some chemistry issues early on that got fixed in the second half of the season? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance. Played horrible basketball for absolutely no logical reason for the first three months of the season but are now playing splendidly? You can win your conference tournament and make the Big Dance.
The power conference head coaches and administrators who seem to be the only ones in favor this will tell you that this is a numbers game. More and more teams keep making the jump to D-I, and because of that, bids are being taken away from some of the best power conference teams in the sport. Oh, and those mid-major Cinderellas you guys love so much? They’re also getting less of a chance to shine.
It’s a disingenuous argument on both fronts.
Sure, the Division-I level of college basketball has been adding teams on a consistent basis for decades now, but over that time, the stranglehold that power conference teams have had on bids to the Big Dance has only grown stronger.
Over the last 10 years, a total of 362 NCAA Tournament at-large bids have been handed out. Out of those 362, 304 of them went to schools in a power conference. That’s 83 percent. If you can’t get your power conference program into the field of 68 over the course of 3-5 years, you probably deserve to have your job performance questioned.
Three of the first four teams left out of last year’s NCAA Tournament were power conference squads Indiana, Auburn and Seton Hall. The fourth was the Mountain West’s San Diego State, a team from the best conference outside of the sport’s Power 5.
Make no mistake about it, these new early round games will be loaded with power conference teams that have records right around .500 and have spent the previous four months proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are too average to compete for the sport’s biggest prize. We didn’t need to see Indiana versus Auburn last month. We saw more than enough from both teams between November and February to know exactly who they were.
No one is claiming that this is a change that’s going to make college basketball diehards or casual March Madness bracket fillers abandon the event entirely. It’s just going to make every aspect of the event a little bit worse. The build-up to March will be a little bit more dull. The two weeks of conference tournament action will be a little less exciting. Filling out a bracket will be a decent bit more tedious. The added games themselves will be overwhelmingly forgettable. And all this will happen for no justifiable reason.
For years, college basketball fans have fretted over the powers that be within the NCAA eventually screwing up the one and only thing they consistently get right. We appear to be on the precipice of their latest attempt to do just that.
#March #Madness #expansion #absolutely #coming
The seemingly inevitable change that absolutely nobody wants appears to be coming in 2027.According to…
Stokes committed to Kansas live on ESPN ahead of the NBA Playoffs to give head coach Bill Self another elite recruiting win. Stokes will take over for Darryn Peterson as the Jayhawks’ freshman superstar, and he’ll be the early front-runner to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft.
There’s a lot to love about Stokes’ game. Listed at 6’7, 230 pounds, Stokes combines a powerful frame with high-level athleticism to dish out punishment on both ends of the floor. He often plays a point-forward role that leverages his quick first-step off the bounce and advanced passing ability, which might be his most impressive skill right now. Stokes is at his best when he’s attacking downhill and playing through contact at the rim. He’s an explosive leaper for someone his size, and he has good body control to set up his finishes. He got to the free throw line at will at the high school level, and already knows how to use the threat of his interior scoring to set up open windows for passes to teammates.
The lack of three-point volume is probably the biggest red flag in Stokes’ on-court skill set. He’s a decent shooter when he has time to line up a shot, but he doesn’t have a quick release, and likely won’t be a dangerous spot-up threat as a freshman at Kansas.
Stokes will be the primary offensive option on the wing for the Jayhawks as a high-usage ball handler. Kansas is also likely to start another incoming freshman in McDonald’s All-American point guard Taylen Kinney, while returners Kohl Rosario (shooting guard) and Paul Mbiya (center) should also factor into the lineup. The Jayhawks have also added three players in the transfer portal in in 6’1 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden, 6’9 Utah forward Keanu Dawes, and 7’2 College of Charleston big man Christian Reeves.
Stokes is the fifth incoming freshman for Kansas in the 2026-27 season, with four of them ranked as top-100 recruits by 247 Sports. In addition to Kinney, the Jayhawks are also bringing in 6’4 guard Luke Barnett, 6’5 wing Trent Perry, and 6’9 big Davion Atkins.
Why Tyran Stokes should be an All-American and top NBA Draft pick
The talent in the high school class of 2026 couldn’t compare to the top-end star-power in the class of 2024 and 2025. Stokes is the one player who could stand in exception to that. When I ranked the best high school basketball players in the country in 2023, Stokes finished No. 4 only behind Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer, and A.J. Dybantsa.
Stokes’ ability to play such an explosive game at 230+ pounds sets him apart from his peers. He offers real creation upside as a ball handling forward who can hammer cracks into the backline of an opposing defense with his physicality, leaping, and scoring touch. The fact that he also excels as a live-dribble passer is what gives him major offensive upside. He’s going to be unstoppable in transition.
Stokes has potential on the defensive end, too — but it all comes down to his motor. When he’s fully engaged, Stokes gobbles up rebounds, steals, and blocks by being able to get into the passing lanes and being stout enough to excel in low-man duties.
Stokes will start the season as the favorite to be drafted No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft. His biggest competition for the top pick will come from Arizona’s Caleb Holt and Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson.
Stokes is set up for a great freshman year at Kansas. He should post high usage, big scoring numbers, and some awesome highlights. Bill Self has done it again on the recruiting trail.
Stokes committed to Kansas live on ESPN ahead of the NBA Playoffs to give head coach Bill Self another elite recruiting win. Stokes will take over for Darryn Peterson as the Jayhawks’ freshman superstar, and he’ll be the early front-runner to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft.
There’s a lot to love about Stokes’ game. Listed at 6’7, 230 pounds, Stokes combines a powerful frame with high-level athleticism to dish out punishment on both ends of the floor. He often plays a point-forward role that leverages his quick first-step off the bounce and advanced passing ability, which might be his most impressive skill right now. Stokes is at his best when he’s attacking downhill and playing through contact at the rim. He’s an explosive leaper for someone his size, and he has good body control to set up his finishes. He got to the free throw line at will at the high school level, and already knows how to use the threat of his interior scoring to set up open windows for passes to teammates.
The lack of three-point volume is probably the biggest red flag in Stokes’ on-court skill set. He’s a decent shooter when he has time to line up a shot, but he doesn’t have a quick release, and likely won’t be a dangerous spot-up threat as a freshman at Kansas.
Stokes will be the primary offensive option on the wing for the Jayhawks as a high-usage ball handler. Kansas is also likely to start another incoming freshman in McDonald’s All-American point guard Taylen Kinney, while returners Kohl Rosario (shooting guard) and Paul Mbiya (center) should also factor into the lineup. The Jayhawks have also added three players in the transfer portal in in 6’1 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden, 6’9 Utah forward Keanu Dawes, and 7’2 College of Charleston big man Christian Reeves.
Stokes is the fifth incoming freshman for Kansas in the 2026-27 season, with four of them ranked as top-100 recruits by 247 Sports. In addition to Kinney, the Jayhawks are also bringing in 6’4 guard Luke Barnett, 6’5 wing Trent Perry, and 6’9 big Davion Atkins.
Why Tyran Stokes should be an All-American and top NBA Draft pick
The talent in the high school class of 2026 couldn’t compare to the top-end star-power in the class of 2024 and 2025. Stokes is the one player who could stand in exception to that. When I ranked the best high school basketball players in the country in 2023, Stokes finished No. 4 only behind Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer, and A.J. Dybantsa.
Stokes’ ability to play such an explosive game at 230+ pounds sets him apart from his peers. He offers real creation upside as a ball handling forward who can hammer cracks into the backline of an opposing defense with his physicality, leaping, and scoring touch. The fact that he also excels as a live-dribble passer is what gives him major offensive upside. He’s going to be unstoppable in transition.
Stokes has potential on the defensive end, too — but it all comes down to his motor. When he’s fully engaged, Stokes gobbles up rebounds, steals, and blocks by being able to get into the passing lanes and being stout enough to excel in low-man duties.
Stokes will start the season as the favorite to be drafted No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft. His biggest competition for the top pick will come from Arizona’s Caleb Holt and Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson.
Stokes is set up for a great freshman year at Kansas. He should post high usage, big scoring numbers, and some awesome highlights. Bill Self has done it again on the recruiting trail.
#Tyran #Stokes #commits #Kansas #recruit #NBAs #top #pick">Tyran Stokes commits to Kansas as No. 1 recruit, and becoming NBA’s top pick is next
Tyran Stokes has been ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2026 throughout his high school basketball career. His recruitment has been kept extremely close to the vest the entire time, involving everything from disciplinary issues to shoe company politics to desperate head coaches still looking for a star with the transfer portal frenzy mostly finished. Stokes was the only top-40 recruit still unsigned in 247 Sports’ rankings when he announced he’d finally make his choice between the Kansas Jayhawks and Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday.
Stokes committed to Kansas live on ESPN ahead of the NBA Playoffs to give head coach Bill Self another elite recruiting win. Stokes will take over for Darryn Peterson as the Jayhawks’ freshman superstar, and he’ll be the early front-runner to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft.
There’s a lot to love about Stokes’ game. Listed at 6’7, 230 pounds, Stokes combines a powerful frame with high-level athleticism to dish out punishment on both ends of the floor. He often plays a point-forward role that leverages his quick first-step off the bounce and advanced passing ability, which might be his most impressive skill right now. Stokes is at his best when he’s attacking downhill and playing through contact at the rim. He’s an explosive leaper for someone his size, and he has good body control to set up his finishes. He got to the free throw line at will at the high school level, and already knows how to use the threat of his interior scoring to set up open windows for passes to teammates.
The lack of three-point volume is probably the biggest red flag in Stokes’ on-court skill set. He’s a decent shooter when he has time to line up a shot, but he doesn’t have a quick release, and likely won’t be a dangerous spot-up threat as a freshman at Kansas.
Stokes will be the primary offensive option on the wing for the Jayhawks as a high-usage ball handler. Kansas is also likely to start another incoming freshman in McDonald’s All-American point guard Taylen Kinney, while returners Kohl Rosario (shooting guard) and Paul Mbiya (center) should also factor into the lineup. The Jayhawks have also added three players in the transfer portal in in 6’1 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden, 6’9 Utah forward Keanu Dawes, and 7’2 College of Charleston big man Christian Reeves.
Stokes is the fifth incoming freshman for Kansas in the 2026-27 season, with four of them ranked as top-100 recruits by 247 Sports. In addition to Kinney, the Jayhawks are also bringing in 6’4 guard Luke Barnett, 6’5 wing Trent Perry, and 6’9 big Davion Atkins.
Why Tyran Stokes should be an All-American and top NBA Draft pick
The talent in the high school class of 2026 couldn’t compare to the top-end star-power in the class of 2024 and 2025. Stokes is the one player who could stand in exception to that. When I ranked the best high school basketball players in the country in 2023, Stokes finished No. 4 only behind Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer, and A.J. Dybantsa.
Stokes’ ability to play such an explosive game at 230+ pounds sets him apart from his peers. He offers real creation upside as a ball handling forward who can hammer cracks into the backline of an opposing defense with his physicality, leaping, and scoring touch. The fact that he also excels as a live-dribble passer is what gives him major offensive upside. He’s going to be unstoppable in transition.
Stokes has potential on the defensive end, too — but it all comes down to his motor. When he’s fully engaged, Stokes gobbles up rebounds, steals, and blocks by being able to get into the passing lanes and being stout enough to excel in low-man duties.
Stokes will start the season as the favorite to be drafted No. 1 overall in the 2027 NBA Draft. His biggest competition for the top pick will come from Arizona’s Caleb Holt and Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson.
Stokes is set up for a great freshman year at Kansas. He should post high usage, big scoring numbers, and some awesome highlights. Bill Self has done it again on the recruiting trail.
#Mens #college #basketball #top #rankings #transfer #portal #closed">Men’s college basketball top 25 rankings for 2026-27 with transfer portal closed
There is still a ton of moving and shaking to take place over the weeks ahead, but for now, we have a decent idea of what the top rosters in college basketball are going to look like heading into the 2026-27 season.
Here are the 25 best … at the moment:
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
Assuming Rueben Chinyelu opts to spurn the NBA and return to school for one more year, Florida will return the same frontcourt that won a national title two seasons ago and earned a No. 1 seed in 2025. Bringing back point guard Boogie Fland — whose emergence in the second half of the season took the Gators from disappointment to legitimate national title contender — and reserve guard Urban Klavzar is enormous as well. Extremely capable two guard Denzel Aberdeen is also back after a season at Kentucky, but he’ll need a waiver to play in 2026-27.
With or without Aberdeen, this is the best roster in college basketball at this point in the offseason, and that seems unlikely to change between now and early November.
2. Illinois Fighting Illini
2025-26 Finish: Final Four
Outside of star freshman guard Keaton Wagler, virtually every key contributor will be back from an Illinois team that took the program to its first Final Four since 2005. The addition of Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks should help alleviate the losses of Wagler and fellow guard Kylan Boswell. If Brad Underwood doesn’t bring in a transfer portal (or European) point guard, the big question for this team will be whether or not incoming freshman Quintin Coleman is good enough to replace Wagler and run the show.
2025-26 Finish: Elite Eight
The last two pursuits of national championships have ended just about as painfully as possible for the Blue Devils, but Jon Scheyer and company figure to be right back in the mix in 2027. Duke will return four of its top six scorers from last year’s No. 1 overall seed, while also adding top-rated Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski and five-star freshmen Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. and Bryson Howard.
2025-26 Finish: National Champions
The reigning national champs have a very real chance to go back-to-back thanks in large part to the returns of top five scorers Morez Johnson Jr., Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. That core will join forces with an exciting transfer portal class headlined by J.P. Estrella (Tennssee), Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) and Jalen Reed (LSU). Dusty May is also bringing in a loaded freshman class highlighted by five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr.
2025-26 Finish: National Runners-Up
Losing Solo Ball for the year due to wrist surgery is an enormous blow, but it’s one at least partially tempered by the announced returns of Silas Demary, NCAA Tournament hero Braylon Mullins, and Jayden Ross. Transfer portal additions Nikolas Khamenia (Duke), Najai Hines (Seton Hall) and Oskar Giltay (Stanford) should help offset the losses of Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr.
This ranking is assuming that both Billy Richmond and Meleek Thomas eventually choose to pull out of the NBA Draft and return to Fayetteville. If that happens, John Calipari should have his most lethal Razorback team to date, even without departing stars Darius Acuff, Nick Pringle, Trevon Brazile and Karter Knox. Incoming freshman Jordan Smith should be up to the task of assuming the star freshman guard role left behind by Acuff, and he’ll get help from Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson, who was one of the best pure scorers in the SEC last season.
2025-26 Finish: Final Four
The returns of Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov are big, but Tommy Lloyd’s vaunted frontcourt took a huge hit with the losses of Koa Peat and Tobe Awaka. Replacing star freshman Brayden Burries and Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley are no small tasks either. Bringing in transfer portal guards Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington), as well as top-five recruit Caleb Holt should shore up the perimeter, but the Wildcats could still use another capable body inside. At this point, the safe play is trusting Lloyd to make it work and have a squad that’s right back in the national title mix next winter.
2025-26 Finish: Elite Eight
Tennessee loses all five of its starters from a team that played in a third straight regional final, but Rick Barnes has gone out and landed transfer portal pieces that could give him his most offensively gifted squad in Knoxville to date. Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal), Miles Rubin (Loyola Chicago), Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame) and Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU) are all established bucket-getters. The big question here is whether or not Barnes can get the group to play the same level of defense that UT fans have grown accustomed to seeing.
9. Michigan State Spartans
Roster retention remains the name of the game for Tom Izzo in this brave, new college basketball world. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. figures to be a preseason All-American, and returning forward Coen Carr will continue to be the sport’s pre-eminent human highlight reel. Fellow returnees Kur Teng, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward will all have to up their production for this team to be a legitimate national title contender. The addition of Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke and the return of senior forward Kaleb Glenn from injury should also provide a nice boost.
A lot of people are going to take a “believe it when I see it” approach to Texas receiving a preseason top 10 ranking, but on paper, Sean Miller has put together an absolute squad this spring. David Punch (TCU) and Isaiah Johnson (Colorado) were two of the best available players in the transfer portal, and pairing them with returning big man Matas Vokietaitis should form a lethal core. Mikey Lewis (Vanderbilt) and Elyjah Freeman (Auburn) were both underrated adds, and if incoming freshman Austin Goosby is as good as advertised, there’s no reason for this Texas team to finish outside the top three or four in the SEC.
Until Kelvin Sampson gives us a reason to doubt his ability to reload and continue to produce top 10 (or just outside the top 10) caliber teams, we should all probably just assume it’s going to continue to happen. Getting Joseph Tugler back was huge, and there are reasons. to believe that Sampson will be able to get more out of fellow returnees Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty next season. Incoming transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. (LSU) will be asked to shoulder much of the scoring load in his first season as a Cougar.
Iowa State is another “trust the guy who has been getting it done for several years in a row” situation. T.J. Otzelberger loses stars Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic, but does return his next three leading scorers in Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan and Jamarion Bateman. Otzelberger will have to find untapped potential from multiple members of his under-the-radar portal class of Jaquan Johnson (Bradley), Leon Bond III (Northern Iowa), Tre Singleton (Northwestern) and Ryan Prather Jr. (Robert Morris) in order to compete with the best of the best in the Big 12.
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
Pat Kelsey has once again made a push for the title of “portal king” after landing a loaded class highlighted by Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas), Alvoro Folgueiras (Iowa) and De’Shayne Montgomery (Dayton). The return of guard Adrian Wooley, who came on late last season when star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. was sidelined with a back injury, hasn’t received as much national attention but could prove to be just as crucial when it comes to Louisville’s chances of making its first NCAA Tournament second weekend since 2015.
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
The Cavaliers are the rarest of rarities these days: A program that nearly a month into the offseason has not lost a player to the transfer portal or added a player from it. That will likely change in the weeks ahead, as UVA has to find some bodies to replace the five players who graduated from last year’s team. Still, a returning core of First Team All-ACC performer Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Johann Gunloh and Elijah Gertrude is enough to justify a top 15 ranking at this juncture.
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
Assuming Braden Huff gets back to full strength after recovering from the knee injury that cut his 2025-26 season short by three months, the Zags should be the team to beat in the first year of the new Pac-12. Mark Few has brought in a couple of nice transfer portal pieces, but could use a really big fish to solidify his squad’s status as a potential top-tier national title contender.
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
In his first season as a head coach, Jai Lucas proved he has what it takes to be one of the next big coaching stars in this sport. After taking Miami from seven wins in 2024-25 to 26 wins and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26, Lucas now has the pieces needed to accomplish even more in year two. Shelton Henderson, Dante Allen and Marcus Allen are all back and will be bolstered by a very good portal class that features Villanova point guard transfer Acaden Lewis as well as DeSean Goode (Robert Morris) and Somto Cyril (Georgia).
17. St. John’s Red Storm
Rick Pitino made sure to immediately land the point guard he was missing last season when he signed Quinn Ellis, a British professional who has spent the last couple of years serving as a floor general in the EuroLeague. He also brings back Ian Jackson and brings in talented Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman, who has the type of untapped potential that could thrive under the drive demanded by Pitino.
As long as Adel Holloway is permitted to return to the team once his legal troubles are cleared up, Nate Oats should once again have one of the better squads in the SEC. There are some very legitimate questions outside of Holloway’s future, but the pieces from the portal — headlined by Boise State defector Drew Fielder — are plentiful enough to trust Oats to make the most of what he has.
2025-26 Finish: First Round
This is shaping up to be a “prove-it” season for Dennis Gates. Thankfully, he has the pieces to do just that. Bryson Tiller (Kansas), Jamier Jones (Providence) and Jaylen Carey (Tennessee) are an extremely formidable transfer portal trio. They’ll team up with one of the nation’s best recruiting classes, one headlined by McDonald’s All-Americans Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant.
2025-26 Finish: First Round
What was widely referred to as “the most anticipated season in BYU basketball history” wound up being something of a disappointment, as A.J. Dybantsa (despite being as good as advertised) and company lost 12 times and failed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Kevin Young will try to accomplish more without the likely No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, and has the chance to it thanks to the return of point guard Rob Wright and the additions of a deep portal class as well as five-star freshman Bruce Branch III.
With the stigma of “only power conference program to have never won an NCAA Tournament game” now gone forever, Fred Hoiberg can now shift his focus to building a consistent contender in Lincoln. The return of All-Big Ten performer Pryce Sandfort and conference Sixth Man of the Year Braden Frager as well as the addition of a solid portal class should give Hoiberg the opportunity to do just that in 2026-27.
22. Vanderbilt Commodores
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
The Commodores are here under the assumption that star guard Tyler Tanner will return to Nashville for the 2026-27 season. If Tanner keeps his name in the NBA Draft, you can go ahead and knock Mark Byington’s team out of these rankings. Even if that happens, expect Byington to prove once again that he’s one of the next big coaching stars in this sport by getting absolute most out of the roster he has.
2025-26 Finish: No Postseason
Darian DeVries didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first year in Bloomington, but his offseason transfer portal haul has ignited some renewed faith that he could wind up being the long-awaited savior of Indiana basketball. Aiden Sherrell (Alabama), Samet Yigitoglu (SMU), Markus Burton (Notre Dame), Darren Harris (Duke) and Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech) give the Hoosiers one of the three or four best portal classes in the country.
2025-26 Finish: Second Round
Mick Cronin is once again all-in on the transfer portal and has brought in a solid group fronted by Sergej Macura (Mississippi State), Filip Jovic (Auburn), Jaylen Petty (Texas Tech) and Stink Robinson (Butler). If Cronin can reel in Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, you can go ahead and bump the Bruins up a few sports on this list.
2025-26 Finish: No Postseason
Eric Musselman’s first two seasons in Los Angeles have been wildly disappointing, but there are reasons to believe year three will be better. Alijah Arenas is back, as are primary contributors Rodney Rice and Jacob Cofie. Portal additions KJ Lewis (Georgetown), Eric Reibe (UConn) and Jalen Cox (Colgate) are all talented, and don’t figure to bring any of the chemistry issues that Chad Baker-Mazara brought with him from Auburn last season. Toss in a trio of top 25 incoming freshmen, and there will be no excuse if Musselman once again fails to get USC into the field of 68.
26. Saint Louis Billikens 27. Purdue Boilermakers 28. Ohio State Buckeyes 29. Texas A&M Aggies 30. Kansas Jayhawks 31. North Carolina Tar Heels 32. Iowa Hawkeyes 33. Providence Friars 34. Xavier Musketeers 35. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Dallas Mavericks have a 6.7 percent chance at No. 1, the Chicago Bulls have a 4.5 percent chance at winning the lottery, and the Golden State Warriors have a two percent chance at the first pick. The Thunder (1.5 percent thanks to a swap with the Clippers), Heat (1 percent), and Hornets (0.5 percent) round out the lottery.
This draft class has already lost some talent to NIL money. UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Duke’s Patrick Ngongba, Florida’s Thomas Haugh, Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas, and Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou were all projected first-round picks in our previous mock draft before deciding to return to school. Only Yessoufou left himself the option to still enter this draft.
The best thing about this draft class if you don’t need the No. 1 pick to find a future franchise player. Just landing in the top-4 should get the job done. Here’s our latest 2026 NBA mock draft using the lottery standings as the order.
Pick
Team
Player
Position
School
Age
1
Washington Wizards
AJ Dybantsa
Wing
BYU
Freshman
2
Indiana Pacers
Darryn Peterson
Guard
Kansas
Freshman
3
Brooklyn Nets
Cameron Boozer
Forward
Duke
Freshman
4
Utah Jazz
Caleb Wilson
Forward
North Carolina
Freshman
5
Sacramento Kings
Darius Acuff
Guard
Arkansas
Freshman
6
Memphis Grizzlies
Keaton Wagler
Guard
Illinois
Freshman
7
Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)
Kingston Flemings
Guard
Houston
Freshman
8
Dallas Mavericks
Mikel Brown Jr.
Guard
Louisville
Freshman
9
Chicago Bulls
Aday Mara
Center
Michigan
Junior
10
Milwaukee Bucks
Brayden Burries
Guard
Arizona
Freshman
11
Golden State Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg
Forward
Michigan
Senior
12
Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)
Nate Ament
Wing
Tennessee
Freshman
13
Miami Heat
Karim Lopez
Forward
NZ Breakers
Born 2007
14
Charlotte Hornets
Jayden Quaintance
Center/Forward
Kentucky
Sophomore
15
Chicago Bulls
Morez Johnson
Center/Forward
Michigan
Sophomore
16
Memphis Grizzlies
Dailyn Swain
Wing
Texas
Junior
17
Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers
Hannes Steinbach
Forward/Center
Washington
Freshman
18
Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)
Cameron Carr
Wing
Baylor
Junior
19
Toronto Raptors
Labaron Philon
Guard
Alabama
Sophomore
20
San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)
Chris Cenac
Center
Houston
Freshman
21
Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)
Bennett Stirtz
Guard
Iowa
Senior
22
Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)
Allen Graves
Forward
Santa Clara
Freshman
23
Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)
Joshua Jefferson
Forward
Iowa State
Senior
24
New York Knicks
Isaiah Evans
Guard
Duke
Sophomore
25
Los Angeles Lakers
Henri Veesaar
Center
North Carolina
Junior
26
Denver Nuggets
Koa Peat
Forward
Arizona
Freshman
27
Boston Celtics
Tyler Tanner
Guard
Vanderbilt
Sophomore
28
Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)
Meleek Thomas
Guard
Arkansas
Freshman
29
Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)
Christian Anderson
Guard
Texas Tech
Sophomore
30
Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)
Isaiah Evans
Guard
Duke
Sophomore
Let’s dive into one of the biggest themes to watch on lottery night.
NBA Draft 2026 lottery odds to land a top-4 pick
It feels like every team in the lottery would be thrilled just to land in the top-4 — that’s just how strong this draft class is. Here are the odds each lottery team has to land in the top-4, via Tankathon:
Caleb Wilson might be rising into the top-3 — or higher
Wilson has the single best highlight reel in the class for my money. Sit back and enjoy:
There’s a compelling sales pitch for the UNC forward. He’s a freak athlete at 6’10 who dunks everything (67 dunks in 24 games), he’s a high-motor defender who guard all over the floor, he’s a good passer, and he has an ability to create scoring opportunities for himself away from the rim with excellent mid-range shooting touch. The two big knocks on him are his shooting and ball handling. Wilson is not a good three-point shooter right now after making 25.9 percent of his 27 attempts from deep in college. He also isn’t really a viable on-ball creator because his lack of handle refinement limits where he can get on the floor. For now, he’s an electric play-finisher on offense and a buzzsaw on defense who should be an absolute terror in transition from day one.
I’ve been consistent that Boozer is my top player in the class. Boozer and Wilson were teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit for Nightrydas, and there was never any question on who the best player on the team was (it was Boozer). Wilson did arguably out-play him in the first Duke vs. North Carolina game this season, which was one of the best prospect matchups we got all year in college hoops.
I have liked Wilson for a while, even putting him on my 2023 list of the best NBA prospects in high school hoops. I’m considering sliding him up to No. 2 on my board, and I would not be shocked if he’s eventually picked in the top-3. Just moving up to No. 4 in the lottery — likely in position to draft Boozer or Wilson — would be an incredible boon for teams like the Bulls, Warriors, and Bucks, who all have long-shots odds entering the lottery. Wilson is so much better than the No. 4 overall prospect in a typical draft, and that’s a big reason why this class is so highly-touted.
Who moves up after the college basketball early entry deadline?
The list of returners undeniably impacts the second half of the first round and the entirety of the second round. Expect plenty of seniors to hear their names once we get into the 20s, and new prospects are already emerging in pre-draft camps like the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. I enjoyed this YouTube breakdown from Ben Pfeifer on the biggest winners of the PIT.
I have Henri Veesaar moving up into the first-round in this mock draft thanks to all the players slated to return back to school. The North Carolina center was one of the my favorite potential second-rounders in this class for his interior scoring efficiency and three-point shooting improvement, but now he might move up by default. It feels like Christian Anderson is likely staying the draft too, but there’s only so many potential landing spots for smaller guards. I’ve also projected Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea as a first-round pick at times during the year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts to generate buzz again in the lead up to the draft.
The withdrawal deadline is only 10 days before the draft on June 13 at 5 p.m. ET. The draft board will continue to evolve until then.
Michigan’s 3 stars all end up in the lottery
The Wolverines were a wagon on their way to a college basketball national championship. While I would expect Elliott Cadeau to return to school, I think Morez Johnson will be joining Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg in the draft.
Morez Johnson is a Chicagoland kid who didn’t leave the area for a prep school like so many of his highly touted peers. In this mock, Mara and Johnson are reunited with the Chicago Bulls, who earned a second top-15 pick via the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to their 2021 Lauri Markkanen trade.
NBA Draft 2026 lottery date, TV time, and streaming
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s draft lottery drawing:
The Dallas Mavericks have a 6.7 percent chance at No. 1, the Chicago Bulls have a 4.5 percent chance at winning the lottery, and the Golden State Warriors have a two percent chance at the first pick. The Thunder (1.5 percent thanks to a swap with the Clippers), Heat (1 percent), and Hornets (0.5 percent) round out the lottery.
This draft class has already lost some talent to NIL money. UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Duke’s Patrick Ngongba, Florida’s Thomas Haugh, Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas, and Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou were all projected first-round picks in our previous mock draft before deciding to return to school. Only Yessoufou left himself the option to still enter this draft.
The best thing about this draft class if you don’t need the No. 1 pick to find a future franchise player. Just landing in the top-4 should get the job done. Here’s our latest 2026 NBA mock draft using the lottery standings as the order.
Pick
Team
Player
Position
School
Age
1
Washington Wizards
AJ Dybantsa
Wing
BYU
Freshman
2
Indiana Pacers
Darryn Peterson
Guard
Kansas
Freshman
3
Brooklyn Nets
Cameron Boozer
Forward
Duke
Freshman
4
Utah Jazz
Caleb Wilson
Forward
North Carolina
Freshman
5
Sacramento Kings
Darius Acuff
Guard
Arkansas
Freshman
6
Memphis Grizzlies
Keaton Wagler
Guard
Illinois
Freshman
7
Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)
Kingston Flemings
Guard
Houston
Freshman
8
Dallas Mavericks
Mikel Brown Jr.
Guard
Louisville
Freshman
9
Chicago Bulls
Aday Mara
Center
Michigan
Junior
10
Milwaukee Bucks
Brayden Burries
Guard
Arizona
Freshman
11
Golden State Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg
Forward
Michigan
Senior
12
Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)
Nate Ament
Wing
Tennessee
Freshman
13
Miami Heat
Karim Lopez
Forward
NZ Breakers
Born 2007
14
Charlotte Hornets
Jayden Quaintance
Center/Forward
Kentucky
Sophomore
15
Chicago Bulls
Morez Johnson
Center/Forward
Michigan
Sophomore
16
Memphis Grizzlies
Dailyn Swain
Wing
Texas
Junior
17
Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers
Hannes Steinbach
Forward/Center
Washington
Freshman
18
Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)
Cameron Carr
Wing
Baylor
Junior
19
Toronto Raptors
Labaron Philon
Guard
Alabama
Sophomore
20
San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)
Chris Cenac
Center
Houston
Freshman
21
Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)
Bennett Stirtz
Guard
Iowa
Senior
22
Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)
Allen Graves
Forward
Santa Clara
Freshman
23
Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)
Joshua Jefferson
Forward
Iowa State
Senior
24
New York Knicks
Isaiah Evans
Guard
Duke
Sophomore
25
Los Angeles Lakers
Henri Veesaar
Center
North Carolina
Junior
26
Denver Nuggets
Koa Peat
Forward
Arizona
Freshman
27
Boston Celtics
Tyler Tanner
Guard
Vanderbilt
Sophomore
28
Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)
Meleek Thomas
Guard
Arkansas
Freshman
29
Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)
Christian Anderson
Guard
Texas Tech
Sophomore
30
Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)
Isaiah Evans
Guard
Duke
Sophomore
Let’s dive into one of the biggest themes to watch on lottery night.
NBA Draft 2026 lottery odds to land a top-4 pick
It feels like every team in the lottery would be thrilled just to land in the top-4 — that’s just how strong this draft class is. Here are the odds each lottery team has to land in the top-4, via Tankathon:
Caleb Wilson might be rising into the top-3 — or higher
Wilson has the single best highlight reel in the class for my money. Sit back and enjoy:
There’s a compelling sales pitch for the UNC forward. He’s a freak athlete at 6’10 who dunks everything (67 dunks in 24 games), he’s a high-motor defender who guard all over the floor, he’s a good passer, and he has an ability to create scoring opportunities for himself away from the rim with excellent mid-range shooting touch. The two big knocks on him are his shooting and ball handling. Wilson is not a good three-point shooter right now after making 25.9 percent of his 27 attempts from deep in college. He also isn’t really a viable on-ball creator because his lack of handle refinement limits where he can get on the floor. For now, he’s an electric play-finisher on offense and a buzzsaw on defense who should be an absolute terror in transition from day one.
I’ve been consistent that Boozer is my top player in the class. Boozer and Wilson were teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit for Nightrydas, and there was never any question on who the best player on the team was (it was Boozer). Wilson did arguably out-play him in the first Duke vs. North Carolina game this season, which was one of the best prospect matchups we got all year in college hoops.
I have liked Wilson for a while, even putting him on my 2023 list of the best NBA prospects in high school hoops. I’m considering sliding him up to No. 2 on my board, and I would not be shocked if he’s eventually picked in the top-3. Just moving up to No. 4 in the lottery — likely in position to draft Boozer or Wilson — would be an incredible boon for teams like the Bulls, Warriors, and Bucks, who all have long-shots odds entering the lottery. Wilson is so much better than the No. 4 overall prospect in a typical draft, and that’s a big reason why this class is so highly-touted.
Who moves up after the college basketball early entry deadline?
The list of returners undeniably impacts the second half of the first round and the entirety of the second round. Expect plenty of seniors to hear their names once we get into the 20s, and new prospects are already emerging in pre-draft camps like the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. I enjoyed this YouTube breakdown from Ben Pfeifer on the biggest winners of the PIT.
I have Henri Veesaar moving up into the first-round in this mock draft thanks to all the players slated to return back to school. The North Carolina center was one of the my favorite potential second-rounders in this class for his interior scoring efficiency and three-point shooting improvement, but now he might move up by default. It feels like Christian Anderson is likely staying the draft too, but there’s only so many potential landing spots for smaller guards. I’ve also projected Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea as a first-round pick at times during the year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts to generate buzz again in the lead up to the draft.
The withdrawal deadline is only 10 days before the draft on June 13 at 5 p.m. ET. The draft board will continue to evolve until then.
Michigan’s 3 stars all end up in the lottery
The Wolverines were a wagon on their way to a college basketball national championship. While I would expect Elliott Cadeau to return to school, I think Morez Johnson will be joining Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg in the draft.
Morez Johnson is a Chicagoland kid who didn’t leave the area for a prep school like so many of his highly touted peers. In this mock, Mara and Johnson are reunited with the Chicago Bulls, who earned a second top-15 pick via the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to their 2021 Lauri Markkanen trade.
NBA Draft 2026 lottery date, TV time, and streaming
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s draft lottery drawing:
#NBA #mock #draft #Update #college #basketball #entry #deadline #final #lottery #odds">NBA mock draft 2026: Update after college basketball entry deadline with final lottery odds
The 2026 NBA Draft class has been hyped for years. The big pay off is finally coming on May 10 with the drawing of the draft lottery, and now the odds for the ping-pong balls have been finalized.
The Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Indiana Pacers earned the top odds with a 14 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick. The Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings each have an 11.5 percent chance at No. 1, while the Memphis Grizzlies have the next-best odds at nine percent. The Atlanta Hawks have a 6.8 percent chance at winning the top-pick thanks to their brilliant trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, and then Atlanta also has another three percent chance at the top pick thanks to swap rights with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Dallas Mavericks have a 6.7 percent chance at No. 1, the Chicago Bulls have a 4.5 percent chance at winning the lottery, and the Golden State Warriors have a two percent chance at the first pick. The Thunder (1.5 percent thanks to a swap with the Clippers), Heat (1 percent), and Hornets (0.5 percent) round out the lottery.
This draft class has already lost some talent to NIL money. UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Duke’s Patrick Ngongba, Florida’s Thomas Haugh, Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas, and Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou were all projected first-round picks in our previous mock draft before deciding to return to school. Only Yessoufou left himself the option to still enter this draft.
The best thing about this draft class if you don’t need the No. 1 pick to find a future franchise player. Just landing in the top-4 should get the job done. Here’s our latest 2026 NBA mock draft using the lottery standings as the order.
Pick
Team
Player
Position
School
Age
1
Washington Wizards
AJ Dybantsa
Wing
BYU
Freshman
2
Indiana Pacers
Darryn Peterson
Guard
Kansas
Freshman
3
Brooklyn Nets
Cameron Boozer
Forward
Duke
Freshman
4
Utah Jazz
Caleb Wilson
Forward
North Carolina
Freshman
5
Sacramento Kings
Darius Acuff
Guard
Arkansas
Freshman
6
Memphis Grizzlies
Keaton Wagler
Guard
Illinois
Freshman
7
Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)
Kingston Flemings
Guard
Houston
Freshman
8
Dallas Mavericks
Mikel Brown Jr.
Guard
Louisville
Freshman
9
Chicago Bulls
Aday Mara
Center
Michigan
Junior
10
Milwaukee Bucks
Brayden Burries
Guard
Arizona
Freshman
11
Golden State Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg
Forward
Michigan
Senior
12
Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)
Nate Ament
Wing
Tennessee
Freshman
13
Miami Heat
Karim Lopez
Forward
NZ Breakers
Born 2007
14
Charlotte Hornets
Jayden Quaintance
Center/Forward
Kentucky
Sophomore
15
Chicago Bulls
Morez Johnson
Center/Forward
Michigan
Sophomore
16
Memphis Grizzlies
Dailyn Swain
Wing
Texas
Junior
17
Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers
Hannes Steinbach
Forward/Center
Washington
Freshman
18
Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)
Cameron Carr
Wing
Baylor
Junior
19
Toronto Raptors
Labaron Philon
Guard
Alabama
Sophomore
20
San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)
Chris Cenac
Center
Houston
Freshman
21
Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)
Bennett Stirtz
Guard
Iowa
Senior
22
Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)
Allen Graves
Forward
Santa Clara
Freshman
23
Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)
Joshua Jefferson
Forward
Iowa State
Senior
24
New York Knicks
Isaiah Evans
Guard
Duke
Sophomore
25
Los Angeles Lakers
Henri Veesaar
Center
North Carolina
Junior
26
Denver Nuggets
Koa Peat
Forward
Arizona
Freshman
27
Boston Celtics
Tyler Tanner
Guard
Vanderbilt
Sophomore
28
Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)
Meleek Thomas
Guard
Arkansas
Freshman
29
Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)
Christian Anderson
Guard
Texas Tech
Sophomore
30
Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)
Isaiah Evans
Guard
Duke
Sophomore
Let’s dive into one of the biggest themes to watch on lottery night.
NBA Draft 2026 lottery odds to land a top-4 pick
It feels like every team in the lottery would be thrilled just to land in the top-4 — that’s just how strong this draft class is. Here are the odds each lottery team has to land in the top-4, via Tankathon:
Caleb Wilson might be rising into the top-3 — or higher
Wilson has the single best highlight reel in the class for my money. Sit back and enjoy:
There’s a compelling sales pitch for the UNC forward. He’s a freak athlete at 6’10 who dunks everything (67 dunks in 24 games), he’s a high-motor defender who guard all over the floor, he’s a good passer, and he has an ability to create scoring opportunities for himself away from the rim with excellent mid-range shooting touch. The two big knocks on him are his shooting and ball handling. Wilson is not a good three-point shooter right now after making 25.9 percent of his 27 attempts from deep in college. He also isn’t really a viable on-ball creator because his lack of handle refinement limits where he can get on the floor. For now, he’s an electric play-finisher on offense and a buzzsaw on defense who should be an absolute terror in transition from day one.
I’ve been consistent that Boozer is my top player in the class. Boozer and Wilson were teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit for Nightrydas, and there was never any question on who the best player on the team was (it was Boozer). Wilson did arguably out-play him in the first Duke vs. North Carolina game this season, which was one of the best prospect matchups we got all year in college hoops.
I have liked Wilson for a while, even putting him on my 2023 list of the best NBA prospects in high school hoops. I’m considering sliding him up to No. 2 on my board, and I would not be shocked if he’s eventually picked in the top-3. Just moving up to No. 4 in the lottery — likely in position to draft Boozer or Wilson — would be an incredible boon for teams like the Bulls, Warriors, and Bucks, who all have long-shots odds entering the lottery. Wilson is so much better than the No. 4 overall prospect in a typical draft, and that’s a big reason why this class is so highly-touted.
Who moves up after the college basketball early entry deadline?
The list of returners undeniably impacts the second half of the first round and the entirety of the second round. Expect plenty of seniors to hear their names once we get into the 20s, and new prospects are already emerging in pre-draft camps like the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. I enjoyed this YouTube breakdown from Ben Pfeifer on the biggest winners of the PIT.
I have Henri Veesaar moving up into the first-round in this mock draft thanks to all the players slated to return back to school. The North Carolina center was one of the my favorite potential second-rounders in this class for his interior scoring efficiency and three-point shooting improvement, but now he might move up by default. It feels like Christian Anderson is likely staying the draft too, but there’s only so many potential landing spots for smaller guards. I’ve also projected Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea as a first-round pick at times during the year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts to generate buzz again in the lead up to the draft.
The withdrawal deadline is only 10 days before the draft on June 13 at 5 p.m. ET. The draft board will continue to evolve until then.
Michigan’s 3 stars all end up in the lottery
The Wolverines were a wagon on their way to a college basketball national championship. While I would expect Elliott Cadeau to return to school, I think Morez Johnson will be joining Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg in the draft.
Morez Johnson is a Chicagoland kid who didn’t leave the area for a prep school like so many of his highly touted peers. In this mock, Mara and Johnson are reunited with the Chicago Bulls, who earned a second top-15 pick via the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to their 2021 Lauri Markkanen trade.
NBA Draft 2026 lottery date, TV time, and streaming
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s draft lottery drawing:
Haugh announced he’s returning to Florida for his senior season on Wednesday. It’s a stunning decision that positions the Gators as the likely preseason No. 1 in the polls and the favorite for the 2027 national championship. Highly-regarded teammate Alex Condon also announced he was returning to school, and fellow Gators big man Rueben Chinyelu is testing the draft process but did not enter the transfer portal. It feels more likely than not that Chinyelu will return to Gainesville alongside Haugh and Condon to reunite a key trio on Florida’s 2024 national championship team.
Haugh is expected to be among the highest earners in college basketball next season, with sources familiar with the decision projecting that he’s in line to make around what he’d earn in his first two NBA seasons combined if he’d been drafted in the top 20 in this year’s draft
To my knowledge, Dybantsa is the highest paid college basketball player ever, and it’s likely Haugh just surpassed him. CBS insider Matt Norlander speculated that Haugh will make at least $8 million at Florida next season based on Vecenie’s report.
“Florida is going to have the highest-paid player in all of college basketball this season, and rightfully so,” Norlander said.
The 2027 NBA Draft is considered much weaker than the 2026 version. That means Haugh shouldn’t fall too far, right? I’m not quite sold yet. Haugh seems to have nothing to gain by returning to Florida, where he’s already won a national championship and proven himself as a decent 3-and-D wing. If NBA scouts already considered him a lottery pick, he probably should have gone to the NBA, because I think it’s highly possible his stock isn’t that high next year even in a worse class.
There were some red flags in Haugh’s draft profile this past season. He posted a 1.8 percent steal rate in back-to-back seasons, which is well below the 2.5 percent threshold scouts like to see as a baseline for athleticism. He wasn’t a particularly strong rebounder on either end, posting a seven percent offensive rebound rate, and a 12.3 percent defensive rebound rate, which are just average numbers. His outside shooting wasn’t that good either with a 32.6 percent stroke from three-point range on 178 attempts. His rim finishing was solid at 62.1 percent with 57.5 percent of those being assisted, but those numbers certainly aren’t spectacular.
Florida is probably going to be really, really good, and Haugh will probably do well in his role. But unless he shows something new in his game like Lendeborg did, it’s possible scouts get another look at his skill set and decide he never should have been a lottery pick in the first place.
Thomas Haugh’s biggest risk in returning is about his second NBA contract
The real money in the NBA is in your second contract. If a player is good enough, it makes any NIL money or rookie scale NBA deal look like chump change.
By returning to Florida, Haugh will now be 28 years old by the time he’s ready to sign a second contract after his four-year rookie deal expires. That contract will take Haugh into his early 30s. Compare that with projected top-3 pick Cameron Boozer, who is four years younger than Haugh, and will only be 24 years old when he signs his second deal and really cashes in with huge NBA money. Teams will always think a young player has more upside. By your early 30s, most players are already starting to decline.
Haugh’s decision could work out well. Maybe he shoots it better and improves his rebounding, and maintains his stock as a lottery pick as Florida marches through the bracket for the second time in his college career. Maybe the NBA is underwhelmed by the incoming class of freshmen and decides it is worth it to swing on older players higher in the draft.
Age is the clearest defining line in sports, especially as it relates to upside. To me, Haugh should have turned pro if he was really going to be a top-15 pick. Yes, the NBA will always be there for him, but that doesn’t mean it will definitely value him the same way.
Either way, good for Haugh for following his heart and his bank account by deciding to stay in college. The NBA is an unforgiving league, and next season should feel like a joyride for the Gators based on their talent and experience … at least until the single-elimination postseason starts.
It’s wild to think Thomas Haugh will make $8+ million next year. That’s about what Tre Johnson made as a rookie after being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. NIL dollars are overpowering NBA money, at least in the short term. Haugh cashed in at a historic level.
Haugh announced he’s returning to Florida for his senior season on Wednesday. It’s a stunning decision that positions the Gators as the likely preseason No. 1 in the polls and the favorite for the 2027 national championship. Highly-regarded teammate Alex Condon also announced he was returning to school, and fellow Gators big man Rueben Chinyelu is testing the draft process but did not enter the transfer portal. It feels more likely than not that Chinyelu will return to Gainesville alongside Haugh and Condon to reunite a key trio on Florida’s 2024 national championship team.
Haugh is expected to be among the highest earners in college basketball next season, with sources familiar with the decision projecting that he’s in line to make around what he’d earn in his first two NBA seasons combined if he’d been drafted in the top 20 in this year’s draft
To my knowledge, Dybantsa is the highest paid college basketball player ever, and it’s likely Haugh just surpassed him. CBS insider Matt Norlander speculated that Haugh will make at least $8 million at Florida next season based on Vecenie’s report.
“Florida is going to have the highest-paid player in all of college basketball this season, and rightfully so,” Norlander said.
The 2027 NBA Draft is considered much weaker than the 2026 version. That means Haugh shouldn’t fall too far, right? I’m not quite sold yet. Haugh seems to have nothing to gain by returning to Florida, where he’s already won a national championship and proven himself as a decent 3-and-D wing. If NBA scouts already considered him a lottery pick, he probably should have gone to the NBA, because I think it’s highly possible his stock isn’t that high next year even in a worse class.
There were some red flags in Haugh’s draft profile this past season. He posted a 1.8 percent steal rate in back-to-back seasons, which is well below the 2.5 percent threshold scouts like to see as a baseline for athleticism. He wasn’t a particularly strong rebounder on either end, posting a seven percent offensive rebound rate, and a 12.3 percent defensive rebound rate, which are just average numbers. His outside shooting wasn’t that good either with a 32.6 percent stroke from three-point range on 178 attempts. His rim finishing was solid at 62.1 percent with 57.5 percent of those being assisted, but those numbers certainly aren’t spectacular.
Florida is probably going to be really, really good, and Haugh will probably do well in his role. But unless he shows something new in his game like Lendeborg did, it’s possible scouts get another look at his skill set and decide he never should have been a lottery pick in the first place.
Thomas Haugh’s biggest risk in returning is about his second NBA contract
The real money in the NBA is in your second contract. If a player is good enough, it makes any NIL money or rookie scale NBA deal look like chump change.
By returning to Florida, Haugh will now be 28 years old by the time he’s ready to sign a second contract after his four-year rookie deal expires. That contract will take Haugh into his early 30s. Compare that with projected top-3 pick Cameron Boozer, who is four years younger than Haugh, and will only be 24 years old when he signs his second deal and really cashes in with huge NBA money. Teams will always think a young player has more upside. By your early 30s, most players are already starting to decline.
Haugh’s decision could work out well. Maybe he shoots it better and improves his rebounding, and maintains his stock as a lottery pick as Florida marches through the bracket for the second time in his college career. Maybe the NBA is underwhelmed by the incoming class of freshmen and decides it is worth it to swing on older players higher in the draft.
Age is the clearest defining line in sports, especially as it relates to upside. To me, Haugh should have turned pro if he was really going to be a top-15 pick. Yes, the NBA will always be there for him, but that doesn’t mean it will definitely value him the same way.
Either way, good for Haugh for following his heart and his bank account by deciding to stay in college. The NBA is an unforgiving league, and next season should feel like a joyride for the Gators based on their talent and experience … at least until the single-elimination postseason starts.
It’s wild to think Thomas Haugh will make $8+ million next year. That’s about what Tre Johnson made as a rookie after being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. NIL dollars are overpowering NBA money, at least in the short term. Haugh cashed in at a historic level.
#Florida #Thomas #Haugh #highestpaid #college #basketball #player #report">Florida makes Thomas Haugh highest-paid college basketball player ever, per report
Haugh announced he’s returning to Florida for his senior season on Wednesday. It’s a stunning decision that positions the Gators as the likely preseason No. 1 in the polls and the favorite for the 2027 national championship. Highly-regarded teammate Alex Condon also announced he was returning to school, and fellow Gators big man Rueben Chinyelu is testing the draft process but did not enter the transfer portal. It feels more likely than not that Chinyelu will return to Gainesville alongside Haugh and Condon to reunite a key trio on Florida’s 2024 national championship team.
Haugh is expected to be among the highest earners in college basketball next season, with sources familiar with the decision projecting that he’s in line to make around what he’d earn in his first two NBA seasons combined if he’d been drafted in the top 20 in this year’s draft
To my knowledge, Dybantsa is the highest paid college basketball player ever, and it’s likely Haugh just surpassed him. CBS insider Matt Norlander speculated that Haugh will make at least $8 million at Florida next season based on Vecenie’s report.
“Florida is going to have the highest-paid player in all of college basketball this season, and rightfully so,” Norlander said.
The 2027 NBA Draft is considered much weaker than the 2026 version. That means Haugh shouldn’t fall too far, right? I’m not quite sold yet. Haugh seems to have nothing to gain by returning to Florida, where he’s already won a national championship and proven himself as a decent 3-and-D wing. If NBA scouts already considered him a lottery pick, he probably should have gone to the NBA, because I think it’s highly possible his stock isn’t that high next year even in a worse class.
There were some red flags in Haugh’s draft profile this past season. He posted a 1.8 percent steal rate in back-to-back seasons, which is well below the 2.5 percent threshold scouts like to see as a baseline for athleticism. He wasn’t a particularly strong rebounder on either end, posting a seven percent offensive rebound rate, and a 12.3 percent defensive rebound rate, which are just average numbers. His outside shooting wasn’t that good either with a 32.6 percent stroke from three-point range on 178 attempts. His rim finishing was solid at 62.1 percent with 57.5 percent of those being assisted, but those numbers certainly aren’t spectacular.
Florida is probably going to be really, really good, and Haugh will probably do well in his role. But unless he shows something new in his game like Lendeborg did, it’s possible scouts get another look at his skill set and decide he never should have been a lottery pick in the first place.
Thomas Haugh’s biggest risk in returning is about his second NBA contract
The real money in the NBA is in your second contract. If a player is good enough, it makes any NIL money or rookie scale NBA deal look like chump change.
By returning to Florida, Haugh will now be 28 years old by the time he’s ready to sign a second contract after his four-year rookie deal expires. That contract will take Haugh into his early 30s. Compare that with projected top-3 pick Cameron Boozer, who is four years younger than Haugh, and will only be 24 years old when he signs his second deal and really cashes in with huge NBA money. Teams will always think a young player has more upside. By your early 30s, most players are already starting to decline.
Haugh’s decision could work out well. Maybe he shoots it better and improves his rebounding, and maintains his stock as a lottery pick as Florida marches through the bracket for the second time in his college career. Maybe the NBA is underwhelmed by the incoming class of freshmen and decides it is worth it to swing on older players higher in the draft.
Age is the clearest defining line in sports, especially as it relates to upside. To me, Haugh should have turned pro if he was really going to be a top-15 pick. Yes, the NBA will always be there for him, but that doesn’t mean it will definitely value him the same way.
Either way, good for Haugh for following his heart and his bank account by deciding to stay in college. The NBA is an unforgiving league, and next season should feel like a joyride for the Gators based on their talent and experience … at least until the single-elimination postseason starts.
It’s wild to think Thomas Haugh will make $8+ million next year. That’s about what Tre Johnson made as a rookie after being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. NIL dollars are overpowering NBA money, at least in the short term. Haugh cashed in at a historic level.
The task got even taller when reports surfaced last October that Kentucky had spent $22 million on its 2025-26 roster, and that the number was the most in the sport “by a wide margin.” Immediately, the target that is always on UK’s back became larger than Pope’s 6’10 frame. The tolerance for another potential “cute, fun, but not special” season evaporated instantly.
Dealing with some injuries?
Don’t care, $22 million roster.
Drop a game you’re not supposed to drop?
Can’t happen, $22 million roster.
Fall short of the ultimate goal in March.
Simply unacceptable, $22 million roster.
This was the established terrain when Pope and Kentucky began year two ranked inside the preseason top 10.
Pope then stepped in nearly all of the covered landmines that were scattered seemingly everywhere across the college basketball landscape.
One of the few things that BBN still loved about Calipari by the time that both sides agreed it was time for a divorce was that he still dominated hated rival Louisville. Cal was 13-3 against the Cardinals and had won his two last Battle of the Bluegrass games by a combined 42 points.
In its first real test of the 2025-26 season, Pope’s Wildcats trailed Louisville by as many as 20 points before ultimately falling by a score of 96-88. Prominent members of UK’s fan media declared it as the official “honeymoon’s over” moment between Pope and the fan base. There are certain games you can lose as Kentucky’s head coach without sending the websites and the message boards and the radio shows in the Commonwealth into a full-blown 48 hour (or more) meltdown. The Louisville game is never one of them.
When the on-the-court stuff goes haywire at a place like Kentucky, the off-the-court stuff suddenly becomes nearly impossible to manage. Pope didn’t do himself any favors on that front.
With the fan base still fuming over the loss, Pope seemed to try and hint at an excuse for the team’s poor performance.
“I’m not ready to tell the story yet, but at some point, we will talk in detail about our pregame experience at Louisville,” Pope said. “It was out of character for us. I don’t want our guys to be run by their emotion; I want them to be able to focus their emotion.”
The message did not resonate with its targeted audience.
Kentucky fans ripped into their head coach for insinuating there was a valid reason for the team not looking stellar against Louisville but not telling anybody what it was. Rumors also began to swirl throughout the Bluegrass State in a way that is typically reserved for if the Wildcats are really struggling during the heart of a season.
Did Pope get into it with a player?
Are two players going after the same girl?
Are THREE players going after the same girl?
Three nights later, after a 99-53 blowout win over Eastern Illinois, Pope made light of the comment and the tidal wave of response it had created.
“I’m a big Taylor Swift fan and I just love to leave out these things that keep everybody wondering and guessing,” Pope joked. “It really is nothing; it’s just something about the emotional level of our team. I want to tease it and let it play for a few more days. It was just the way we felt as a team and how we responded.”
Pope quickly learned that a 44-point win in a buy game three days after a loss to Louisville didn’t earn him the right to make quirky jokes again. Not even ones with Taylor Swift references.
The heat doubled a week after the Louisville loss when Kentucky went to Madison Square Garden for the annual Champions Classic doubleheader and got throttled by Michigan State, 83-66. They followed that up with a home loss to North Carolina and a 45-point beatdown at the hands of Gonzaga that sent BBN into a full-on frenzy.
The heat didn’t die down during conference play, where UK lost eight games and was forced to play on the opening day of the SEC Tournament for the first time in the history of the program. Even Billy Gillispie earned at least a single bye in the league tourney in both of his failed seasons in Lexington.
A dramatic overtime win over Santa Clara provided some positive March vibes for about 24 hours, but a blowout loss to a short-handed Iowa State team in round two officially set the tone for Pope’s third spring wearing the Commonwealth’s heaviest crown: It’s time to start showing us something … or else.
So far, “or else” has dominated the spring conversations in the Bluegrass State.
Kentucky was viewed as a heavy favorite for G-Leaguer Dink Pate. Pate ultimately committed to Providence.
Highly-coveted BYU point guard Rob Wright was seen as a done deal for the Wildcats … until Wright actually visited UK. Quickly, rumors of Wright’s visit going south began to spread, and the rising junior ultimately opted to re-sign with the Cougars.
Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman was talked about as a sure thing for Kentucky for weeks. Then, Rick Pitino — Pope’s former head coach and mentor — swooped in and stole him. Reports that Freeman wanted to play for “a guy that would coach him hard, and wanted someone who had coached pros” added insult to injury.
Tyran Stokes, a Kentucky native and the No. 1 overall player in the recruiting class of 2026, has seemed to be in no particular rush to pledge his loyalty to Pope and the Wildcats despite receiving the full-court press from BBN.
The Cats also lost Collin Chandler, who most believed would return for another season to BYU, and productive power forward Mo Dioubate to conference rival LSU.
During this run of futility, Pope has become something of an internet meme, both locally and nationally.
There are more. There are lots more.
In fairness, it’s not like Kentucky appears to be headed for an all-time disaster of season. Pope has landed a pair of high-profile transfers in Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins. He’ll also return heavy contributors Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams from last year’s team. Those bones should be strong enough to form the nucleus of a team that should once again be NCAA Tournament good.
But NCAA Tournament good isn’t the standard at Kentucky. Certainly not in year three of a head coach’s tenure.
Pope knew exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to be the guy who followed Calipari in Lexington. The ceiling for the potential good at Kentucky is always about as high as any good in college basketball can be. You are king of the sport’s most passionate fan base and one its most powerful programs, and every second you exist, you are treated as such.
The floor for the potential bad is … well, Pope is flirting with finding out just how low that can get and how ugly things can become over the 10 months ahead.
The task got even taller when reports surfaced last October that Kentucky had spent $22 million on its 2025-26 roster, and that the number was the most in the sport “by a wide margin.” Immediately, the target that is always on UK’s back became larger than Pope’s 6’10 frame. The tolerance for another potential “cute, fun, but not special” season evaporated instantly.
Dealing with some injuries?
Don’t care, $22 million roster.
Drop a game you’re not supposed to drop?
Can’t happen, $22 million roster.
Fall short of the ultimate goal in March.
Simply unacceptable, $22 million roster.
This was the established terrain when Pope and Kentucky began year two ranked inside the preseason top 10.
Pope then stepped in nearly all of the covered landmines that were scattered seemingly everywhere across the college basketball landscape.
One of the few things that BBN still loved about Calipari by the time that both sides agreed it was time for a divorce was that he still dominated hated rival Louisville. Cal was 13-3 against the Cardinals and had won his two last Battle of the Bluegrass games by a combined 42 points.
In its first real test of the 2025-26 season, Pope’s Wildcats trailed Louisville by as many as 20 points before ultimately falling by a score of 96-88. Prominent members of UK’s fan media declared it as the official “honeymoon’s over” moment between Pope and the fan base. There are certain games you can lose as Kentucky’s head coach without sending the websites and the message boards and the radio shows in the Commonwealth into a full-blown 48 hour (or more) meltdown. The Louisville game is never one of them.
When the on-the-court stuff goes haywire at a place like Kentucky, the off-the-court stuff suddenly becomes nearly impossible to manage. Pope didn’t do himself any favors on that front.
With the fan base still fuming over the loss, Pope seemed to try and hint at an excuse for the team’s poor performance.
“I’m not ready to tell the story yet, but at some point, we will talk in detail about our pregame experience at Louisville,” Pope said. “It was out of character for us. I don’t want our guys to be run by their emotion; I want them to be able to focus their emotion.”
The message did not resonate with its targeted audience.
Kentucky fans ripped into their head coach for insinuating there was a valid reason for the team not looking stellar against Louisville but not telling anybody what it was. Rumors also began to swirl throughout the Bluegrass State in a way that is typically reserved for if the Wildcats are really struggling during the heart of a season.
Did Pope get into it with a player?
Are two players going after the same girl?
Are THREE players going after the same girl?
Three nights later, after a 99-53 blowout win over Eastern Illinois, Pope made light of the comment and the tidal wave of response it had created.
“I’m a big Taylor Swift fan and I just love to leave out these things that keep everybody wondering and guessing,” Pope joked. “It really is nothing; it’s just something about the emotional level of our team. I want to tease it and let it play for a few more days. It was just the way we felt as a team and how we responded.”
Pope quickly learned that a 44-point win in a buy game three days after a loss to Louisville didn’t earn him the right to make quirky jokes again. Not even ones with Taylor Swift references.
The heat doubled a week after the Louisville loss when Kentucky went to Madison Square Garden for the annual Champions Classic doubleheader and got throttled by Michigan State, 83-66. They followed that up with a home loss to North Carolina and a 45-point beatdown at the hands of Gonzaga that sent BBN into a full-on frenzy.
The heat didn’t die down during conference play, where UK lost eight games and was forced to play on the opening day of the SEC Tournament for the first time in the history of the program. Even Billy Gillispie earned at least a single bye in the league tourney in both of his failed seasons in Lexington.
A dramatic overtime win over Santa Clara provided some positive March vibes for about 24 hours, but a blowout loss to a short-handed Iowa State team in round two officially set the tone for Pope’s third spring wearing the Commonwealth’s heaviest crown: It’s time to start showing us something … or else.
So far, “or else” has dominated the spring conversations in the Bluegrass State.
Kentucky was viewed as a heavy favorite for G-Leaguer Dink Pate. Pate ultimately committed to Providence.
Highly-coveted BYU point guard Rob Wright was seen as a done deal for the Wildcats … until Wright actually visited UK. Quickly, rumors of Wright’s visit going south began to spread, and the rising junior ultimately opted to re-sign with the Cougars.
Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman was talked about as a sure thing for Kentucky for weeks. Then, Rick Pitino — Pope’s former head coach and mentor — swooped in and stole him. Reports that Freeman wanted to play for “a guy that would coach him hard, and wanted someone who had coached pros” added insult to injury.
Tyran Stokes, a Kentucky native and the No. 1 overall player in the recruiting class of 2026, has seemed to be in no particular rush to pledge his loyalty to Pope and the Wildcats despite receiving the full-court press from BBN.
The Cats also lost Collin Chandler, who most believed would return for another season to BYU, and productive power forward Mo Dioubate to conference rival LSU.
During this run of futility, Pope has become something of an internet meme, both locally and nationally.
There are more. There are lots more.
In fairness, it’s not like Kentucky appears to be headed for an all-time disaster of season. Pope has landed a pair of high-profile transfers in Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins. He’ll also return heavy contributors Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams from last year’s team. Those bones should be strong enough to form the nucleus of a team that should once again be NCAA Tournament good.
But NCAA Tournament good isn’t the standard at Kentucky. Certainly not in year three of a head coach’s tenure.
Pope knew exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to be the guy who followed Calipari in Lexington. The ceiling for the potential good at Kentucky is always about as high as any good in college basketball can be. You are king of the sport’s most passionate fan base and one its most powerful programs, and every second you exist, you are treated as such.
The floor for the potential bad is … well, Pope is flirting with finding out just how low that can get and how ugly things can become over the 10 months ahead.
#Kentuckys #transfer #portal #struggles #put #heat #Mark #Pope #deserves">Kentucky’s transfer portal struggles put more heat on Mark Pope, and he deserves it
Mark Pope’s first year as the head coach of the Kentucky men’s basketball program was sort of like a Hallmark Christmas movie: Cute, predictable, got the job done, but lacking in the substance for any viewer or fan to refer to it as one of their favorite movies or seasons of all-time.
Pope understood the assignment. Whenever there’s an unamiable parting of ways, the task for the next person up is to showcase that they’re capable of continuing to provide the good qualities of the person they’re replacing, but also that they are the antithesis of said person in the areas that had ultimately steered the relationship towards a breakup.
Kentucky fans were upset that John Calipari seemingly refused to modernize his offensive philosophies.
Mark Pope came from BYU with an offensive game plan centered around lighting up the scoreboard with outside shots and high percentage buckets at the rim.
Kentucky fans were upset that John Calipari had seemed to believe that he had become bigger than the program.
Mark Pope was a former player who played up the notion that the Big Blue Nation WAS Kentucky basketball, and that this was a perpetual truth that couldn’t be changed.
Kentucky fans were really upset that John Calipari hadn’t been to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and couldn’t seem to stop losing games to double-digit seeds.
Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team played to its 3-seed, making the Sweet 16 before getting hammered by conference rival Tennessee.
It was nice, it was refreshing, and it hit just about every necessary benchmark the fan base had for year one. It also wasn’t going to be good enough moving forward.
This is a fan base that demands the biggest and the best, and Hallmark Christmas movies don’t win Oscars and they don’t get standing ovations at Cannes.
Telling Kentucky fans how great they are and consistently referencing how lucky he is to be the most important man in Lexington was never going to be enough for Pope in year two. The bar was always going to be raised, and simply not being John Calipari was never going to be the boost necessary to clear it.
The task got even taller when reports surfaced last October that Kentucky had spent $22 million on its 2025-26 roster, and that the number was the most in the sport “by a wide margin.” Immediately, the target that is always on UK’s back became larger than Pope’s 6’10 frame. The tolerance for another potential “cute, fun, but not special” season evaporated instantly.
Dealing with some injuries?
Don’t care, $22 million roster.
Drop a game you’re not supposed to drop?
Can’t happen, $22 million roster.
Fall short of the ultimate goal in March.
Simply unacceptable, $22 million roster.
This was the established terrain when Pope and Kentucky began year two ranked inside the preseason top 10.
Pope then stepped in nearly all of the covered landmines that were scattered seemingly everywhere across the college basketball landscape.
One of the few things that BBN still loved about Calipari by the time that both sides agreed it was time for a divorce was that he still dominated hated rival Louisville. Cal was 13-3 against the Cardinals and had won his two last Battle of the Bluegrass games by a combined 42 points.
In its first real test of the 2025-26 season, Pope’s Wildcats trailed Louisville by as many as 20 points before ultimately falling by a score of 96-88. Prominent members of UK’s fan media declared it as the official “honeymoon’s over” moment between Pope and the fan base. There are certain games you can lose as Kentucky’s head coach without sending the websites and the message boards and the radio shows in the Commonwealth into a full-blown 48 hour (or more) meltdown. The Louisville game is never one of them.
When the on-the-court stuff goes haywire at a place like Kentucky, the off-the-court stuff suddenly becomes nearly impossible to manage. Pope didn’t do himself any favors on that front.
With the fan base still fuming over the loss, Pope seemed to try and hint at an excuse for the team’s poor performance.
“I’m not ready to tell the story yet, but at some point, we will talk in detail about our pregame experience at Louisville,” Pope said. “It was out of character for us. I don’t want our guys to be run by their emotion; I want them to be able to focus their emotion.”
The message did not resonate with its targeted audience.
Kentucky fans ripped into their head coach for insinuating there was a valid reason for the team not looking stellar against Louisville but not telling anybody what it was. Rumors also began to swirl throughout the Bluegrass State in a way that is typically reserved for if the Wildcats are really struggling during the heart of a season.
Did Pope get into it with a player?
Are two players going after the same girl?
Are THREE players going after the same girl?
Three nights later, after a 99-53 blowout win over Eastern Illinois, Pope made light of the comment and the tidal wave of response it had created.
“I’m a big Taylor Swift fan and I just love to leave out these things that keep everybody wondering and guessing,” Pope joked. “It really is nothing; it’s just something about the emotional level of our team. I want to tease it and let it play for a few more days. It was just the way we felt as a team and how we responded.”
Pope quickly learned that a 44-point win in a buy game three days after a loss to Louisville didn’t earn him the right to make quirky jokes again. Not even ones with Taylor Swift references.
The heat doubled a week after the Louisville loss when Kentucky went to Madison Square Garden for the annual Champions Classic doubleheader and got throttled by Michigan State, 83-66. They followed that up with a home loss to North Carolina and a 45-point beatdown at the hands of Gonzaga that sent BBN into a full-on frenzy.
The heat didn’t die down during conference play, where UK lost eight games and was forced to play on the opening day of the SEC Tournament for the first time in the history of the program. Even Billy Gillispie earned at least a single bye in the league tourney in both of his failed seasons in Lexington.
A dramatic overtime win over Santa Clara provided some positive March vibes for about 24 hours, but a blowout loss to a short-handed Iowa State team in round two officially set the tone for Pope’s third spring wearing the Commonwealth’s heaviest crown: It’s time to start showing us something … or else.
So far, “or else” has dominated the spring conversations in the Bluegrass State.
Kentucky was viewed as a heavy favorite for G-Leaguer Dink Pate. Pate ultimately committed to Providence.
Highly-coveted BYU point guard Rob Wright was seen as a done deal for the Wildcats … until Wright actually visited UK. Quickly, rumors of Wright’s visit going south began to spread, and the rising junior ultimately opted to re-sign with the Cougars.
Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman was talked about as a sure thing for Kentucky for weeks. Then, Rick Pitino — Pope’s former head coach and mentor — swooped in and stole him. Reports that Freeman wanted to play for “a guy that would coach him hard, and wanted someone who had coached pros” added insult to injury.
Tyran Stokes, a Kentucky native and the No. 1 overall player in the recruiting class of 2026, has seemed to be in no particular rush to pledge his loyalty to Pope and the Wildcats despite receiving the full-court press from BBN.
The Cats also lost Collin Chandler, who most believed would return for another season to BYU, and productive power forward Mo Dioubate to conference rival LSU.
During this run of futility, Pope has become something of an internet meme, both locally and nationally.
There are more. There are lots more.
In fairness, it’s not like Kentucky appears to be headed for an all-time disaster of season. Pope has landed a pair of high-profile transfers in Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins. He’ll also return heavy contributors Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams from last year’s team. Those bones should be strong enough to form the nucleus of a team that should once again be NCAA Tournament good.
But NCAA Tournament good isn’t the standard at Kentucky. Certainly not in year three of a head coach’s tenure.
Pope knew exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to be the guy who followed Calipari in Lexington. The ceiling for the potential good at Kentucky is always about as high as any good in college basketball can be. You are king of the sport’s most passionate fan base and one its most powerful programs, and every second you exist, you are treated as such.
The floor for the potential bad is … well, Pope is flirting with finding out just how low that can get and how ugly things can become over the 10 months ahead.
John Blackwell committed to Duke in the transfer portal per ESPN after deciding to leave the Wisconsin Badgers after three seasons. Blackwell was a three-star recruit who didn’t even place in the top-200 of the national recruiting rankings entering Wisconsin, but he exploded into one of the best guards in the Big Ten as a sophomore, and then took another step forward as a junior. Wisconsin won 51 games over the last two years and made a pair of NCAA tournament appearances with Blackwell as one of their lead players. Now he’s set to be the top option on the perimeter after choosing the Blue Devils over interest from Louisville, Illinois, and others.
We ranked Blackwell as the 44th best player entering the 2026 NCAA tournament. He averaged 19.1 points on per game on 59.3 percent true shooting this year by blending on- and off-ball versatility on offense and showing off a very good three-point shooting stroke and advanced mid-range game. Blackwell made 39 percent of the 241 threes he attempted this past season with 25 percent of those being unassisted, and also made 40 percent of his mid-range shots with more than 70 percent unassisted. The 6’4 guard is more of a scorer than a pure point, but he does a a good job suppressing turnovers as a ball handler. In general, he’s a guard who can handle high usage (25.6 percent last season), create a good look for himself, and rip threes while proving he can play alongside other stars the last two years next to John Tonje and Nick Boyd at Wisconsin respectively.
Duke had already landed a transfer portal commitment from 6’9 Belmont big man Drew Scharnowski. Star center Patrick Ngongba is also coming back to Duke instead of entering the NBA Draft, and will Cayden Boozer is back for his sophomore year, too. Duke almost certainly isn’t done adding to the roster, but it might have to wait for a few players to make decisions on the 2026 NBA Draft. Remember: Duke had a commitment from Cedric Coward this time last year before he won over pro scouts at the combine and eventually developed into a lottery pick and one of this year’s better rookies.
Let’s dive into what Duke has on the 2026-27 roster right now, plus the players they could still land.
Duke men’s basketball projected roster for 2026-2027 season
These are the players Duke has committed for next year if everyone returns. I’m just going to take a wild guess at the lineup.
Bench: F/C Drew Scharnowski, G Caleb Foster*, G Deron Ripley Jr., F Bryson Howard, C Maxime Meyer, F Sebastian Wilkins
The * next to a player’s name means they’re currently expected to return without an announcement yet. Sarr and Foster will both have big decisions that will go a long way toward shaping Duke’s roster.
Who else could Duke still land in the transfer portal?
The biggest name available for Duke or any school is Allen Graves. The Santa Clara forward declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, but it’s hard to say what his stock will look like right now. Graves was one of the most productive players in the country on a per-minute basis, but he also didn’t play a ton of minutes because of constant foul trouble. The 6’9 forward is a defensive ballhawk with a five percent block rate and 4.9 percent steal rate, and he also hit 40 percent of his three-pointers this past season. He’s an elite rebounder with crazy hands, a non-stop motor, and a true nose for the ball on both ends. I would take him with a first-round pick this year, but it’s likely Duke or Kentucky or anyone else would offer him more money to return to college and prove his stock against better competition in a bigger role.
Could Duke still land Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic if he doesn’t stick in the draft? Is there another high-profile player coming? It’s all possible. After falling in the Final Four with Flagg and the Elite Eight with Boozer, head coach Jon Scheyer needs a deep run in the tournament. He’s got his work cut out for him, but this is a strong start.
John Blackwell committed to Duke in the transfer portal per ESPN after deciding to leave the Wisconsin Badgers after three seasons. Blackwell was a three-star recruit who didn’t even place in the top-200 of the national recruiting rankings entering Wisconsin, but he exploded into one of the best guards in the Big Ten as a sophomore, and then took another step forward as a junior. Wisconsin won 51 games over the last two years and made a pair of NCAA tournament appearances with Blackwell as one of their lead players. Now he’s set to be the top option on the perimeter after choosing the Blue Devils over interest from Louisville, Illinois, and others.
We ranked Blackwell as the 44th best player entering the 2026 NCAA tournament. He averaged 19.1 points on per game on 59.3 percent true shooting this year by blending on- and off-ball versatility on offense and showing off a very good three-point shooting stroke and advanced mid-range game. Blackwell made 39 percent of the 241 threes he attempted this past season with 25 percent of those being unassisted, and also made 40 percent of his mid-range shots with more than 70 percent unassisted. The 6’4 guard is more of a scorer than a pure point, but he does a a good job suppressing turnovers as a ball handler. In general, he’s a guard who can handle high usage (25.6 percent last season), create a good look for himself, and rip threes while proving he can play alongside other stars the last two years next to John Tonje and Nick Boyd at Wisconsin respectively.
Duke had already landed a transfer portal commitment from 6’9 Belmont big man Drew Scharnowski. Star center Patrick Ngongba is also coming back to Duke instead of entering the NBA Draft, and will Cayden Boozer is back for his sophomore year, too. Duke almost certainly isn’t done adding to the roster, but it might have to wait for a few players to make decisions on the 2026 NBA Draft. Remember: Duke had a commitment from Cedric Coward this time last year before he won over pro scouts at the combine and eventually developed into a lottery pick and one of this year’s better rookies.
Let’s dive into what Duke has on the 2026-27 roster right now, plus the players they could still land.
Duke men’s basketball projected roster for 2026-2027 season
These are the players Duke has committed for next year if everyone returns. I’m just going to take a wild guess at the lineup.
Bench: F/C Drew Scharnowski, G Caleb Foster*, G Deron Ripley Jr., F Bryson Howard, C Maxime Meyer, F Sebastian Wilkins
The * next to a player’s name means they’re currently expected to return without an announcement yet. Sarr and Foster will both have big decisions that will go a long way toward shaping Duke’s roster.
Who else could Duke still land in the transfer portal?
The biggest name available for Duke or any school is Allen Graves. The Santa Clara forward declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, but it’s hard to say what his stock will look like right now. Graves was one of the most productive players in the country on a per-minute basis, but he also didn’t play a ton of minutes because of constant foul trouble. The 6’9 forward is a defensive ballhawk with a five percent block rate and 4.9 percent steal rate, and he also hit 40 percent of his three-pointers this past season. He’s an elite rebounder with crazy hands, a non-stop motor, and a true nose for the ball on both ends. I would take him with a first-round pick this year, but it’s likely Duke or Kentucky or anyone else would offer him more money to return to college and prove his stock against better competition in a bigger role.
Could Duke still land Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic if he doesn’t stick in the draft? Is there another high-profile player coming? It’s all possible. After falling in the Final Four with Flagg and the Elite Eight with Boozer, head coach Jon Scheyer needs a deep run in the tournament. He’s got his work cut out for him, but this is a strong start.
#Duke #lands #elite #transfer #portal #guard #John #Blackwell #roster #coming #season">Duke lands elite transfer portal guard John Blackwell, and its roster is coming together for next season
The Duke Blue Devils probably won’t have a superstar freshman who doubles as the best player in the country for the 2026-27 season like they did the previous two years with Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer. That means Duke has real work to do in the transfer portal this season, and it landed its best piece yet on Wednesday afternoon by nabbing one of the top players available.
John Blackwell committed to Duke in the transfer portal per ESPN after deciding to leave the Wisconsin Badgers after three seasons. Blackwell was a three-star recruit who didn’t even place in the top-200 of the national recruiting rankings entering Wisconsin, but he exploded into one of the best guards in the Big Ten as a sophomore, and then took another step forward as a junior. Wisconsin won 51 games over the last two years and made a pair of NCAA tournament appearances with Blackwell as one of their lead players. Now he’s set to be the top option on the perimeter after choosing the Blue Devils over interest from Louisville, Illinois, and others.
We ranked Blackwell as the 44th best player entering the 2026 NCAA tournament. He averaged 19.1 points on per game on 59.3 percent true shooting this year by blending on- and off-ball versatility on offense and showing off a very good three-point shooting stroke and advanced mid-range game. Blackwell made 39 percent of the 241 threes he attempted this past season with 25 percent of those being unassisted, and also made 40 percent of his mid-range shots with more than 70 percent unassisted. The 6’4 guard is more of a scorer than a pure point, but he does a a good job suppressing turnovers as a ball handler. In general, he’s a guard who can handle high usage (25.6 percent last season), create a good look for himself, and rip threes while proving he can play alongside other stars the last two years next to John Tonje and Nick Boyd at Wisconsin respectively.
Duke had already landed a transfer portal commitment from 6’9 Belmont big man Drew Scharnowski. Star center Patrick Ngongba is also coming back to Duke instead of entering the NBA Draft, and will Cayden Boozer is back for his sophomore year, too. Duke almost certainly isn’t done adding to the roster, but it might have to wait for a few players to make decisions on the 2026 NBA Draft. Remember: Duke had a commitment from Cedric Coward this time last year before he won over pro scouts at the combine and eventually developed into a lottery pick and one of this year’s better rookies.
Let’s dive into what Duke has on the 2026-27 roster right now, plus the players they could still land.
Duke men’s basketball projected roster for 2026-2027 season
These are the players Duke has committed for next year if everyone returns. I’m just going to take a wild guess at the lineup.
Bench: F/C Drew Scharnowski, G Caleb Foster*, G Deron Ripley Jr., F Bryson Howard, C Maxime Meyer, F Sebastian Wilkins
The * next to a player’s name means they’re currently expected to return without an announcement yet. Sarr and Foster will both have big decisions that will go a long way toward shaping Duke’s roster.
Who else could Duke still land in the transfer portal?
The biggest name available for Duke or any school is Allen Graves. The Santa Clara forward declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, but it’s hard to say what his stock will look like right now. Graves was one of the most productive players in the country on a per-minute basis, but he also didn’t play a ton of minutes because of constant foul trouble. The 6’9 forward is a defensive ballhawk with a five percent block rate and 4.9 percent steal rate, and he also hit 40 percent of his three-pointers this past season. He’s an elite rebounder with crazy hands, a non-stop motor, and a true nose for the ball on both ends. I would take him with a first-round pick this year, but it’s likely Duke or Kentucky or anyone else would offer him more money to return to college and prove his stock against better competition in a bigger role.
Could Duke still land Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic if he doesn’t stick in the draft? Is there another high-profile player coming? It’s all possible. After falling in the Final Four with Flagg and the Elite Eight with Boozer, head coach Jon Scheyer needs a deep run in the tournament. He’s got his work cut out for him, but this is a strong start.
It takes the right mix of roster retention and portal additions to truly build a great roster. There’s already an elite tier of contenders who are doing their best work by keeping top players on campus, including possible preseason No. 1 Illinois and the 2025 national champion Florida Gators. The teams on this list won’t have quite as much continuity on their side, but they’ll be happy to take more talent.
For everyone else, hope springs eternal in the offseason with the right portal grabs. Let’s rank the teams with the best transfer portal classes so far.
Additions: Miles Byrd (San Diego State), Arrinten Page (Northwestern), Devin Vanterpool (Florida Atlantic), Gavin Hightower (South Florida), Samson Aletan (Yale), Ryan Sabol (Buffalo)
Providence fired Kim English, hired Bryan Hodgson away from South Florida, and immediately started putting together a big-time transfer portal class. Miles Byrd might be the best off-ball defender in the country, and he’ll generate so many turnovers for the Friars after committing from San Diego State. Arrinten Page picked Providence after stops at USC, Cincinnati, and Northwestern, where he turned in a very solid junior year as a shot blocker, rebounder, and efficient interior scorer. Devin Vanterpool is a potential 3-and-D guard coming over after two years at FAU, while rising sophomore guard Gavin Hightower follows Hodgson from South Florida and should provide playmaking and pesky defense. Providence lost a ton of talent in the portal, too, but it’s clear last season’s mix wasn’t working, and this haul should make fans optimistic for the future under Hodgson.
Additions: Bryson Tiller (Kansas), Jamier Jones (Providence), Jaylen Carey (Tennessee)
Mizzou has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances under Dennis Gates, and they’re trying to make their first real run. The Tigers already had two McDonald’s All-Americans coming in with guard Jason Crowe and forward Toni Bryant, and now they’ve added even more talent to the front court with a nice trio of transfer portal additions. Jamier Jones was a coveted recruit who had a promising freshman season at Providence a year ago, showing off efficient scoring instincts and an ability to bully his way to the foul line. Bryson Tiller was another big-time recruit who played well as a freshman at Kansas, providing interior scoring, defensive rebounding, and shot-blocking as a 6’10 four man. Jaylen Carey will generate extra possessions as a monster rebounder coming over from Tennessee. Mizzou lost some big pieces in the portal too, including guard Anthony Robinson II to Florida State, but this feels like one of the more intriguing rosters in college hoops next season.
Additions: JaQuan Johnson (Bradley), Tre Singleton (Northwestern), Taj Manning (Kansas State), Leon Bond III (Northern Iowa), Ryan Prather Jr. (Robert Morris)
Iowa State is as consistent as it gets under TJ Otzelberger with five straight tournament appearances including three Sweet 16 trips. Doing it again will be a challenge after losing so much talent — including stars Joshua Jefferson to graduation and Milan Momcilovic to the transfer portal — but their own portal haul gives them a chance. JaQuan Johnson was one of the best mid-major players available as a tiny point guard who nonetheless hounds the ball defensively while splashing threes and getting teammates involved as a passer without turning the ball over. Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton feels primed for a sophomore leap after showing off 70 percent rim finishing, solid defensive rebounding, and some outside shooting potential. K-State transfer Taj Manning will add offensive rebounding and toughness inside, while Ryan Prather hits shots and gets teammates involved as a passer while suppressing turnovers. It’s hard to know exactly how good Iowa State is going to be after losing so many key players and coaching staff members, but they definitely rebounded well in the portal.
ATHENS, GA – NOVEMBER 17: Center Somto Cyril #2 of the Georgia Bulldogs dunks the ball during the college basketball game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the Georgia Bulldogs on November 17, 2025, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Additions: Somto Cyril (Georgia), Acaden Lewis (Villanova), DeSean Goode (Robert Morris)
Head coach Jai Lucas had an excellent debut season at Miami, and he’s building an even stronger roster for next season. Somto Cyril is a physical freak in the middle, combining a 7’7 wingspan with a 260-pound frame and jarring athletic traits. Cyril was good at Georgia last season, but he can be even better at Miami with the pieces around him. Acaden Lewis flew under the radar in a deep freshman class, but he was one of the better first-year point guards in America at Villanova. He’ll have plenty of weapons around him at Miami, and should be finding Cyril for rim assists early and often. DeSean Goode comes over from Robert Morris after winning Horizon League Player of the Year, and should be another solid piece of front court depth. Retaining Shelton Henderson for his sophomore year was a critical move, and the burly scoring forward could be downright scary if he improves his shooting touch. I also like incoming McDonald’s All-American Caleb Gaskins as a man-child forward who is actually young for his class, and should immediately be down to do the dirty work. Miami is going to be long and athletic and tough. That’s a winning combination.
UConn doesn’t rebuild, they reload. After three Final Four appearances and two national championships in the last four years, the Huskies are again looking like one of the top teams in the country by augmenting their talented core with two huge portal additions. Najai Hines was one of the most productive freshman bigs in the country on a per-minute basis, and he should fill Tarris Reed’s shoes wonderfully as a 265-pound tank with a high motor on both ends. Nik Khamenia was pretty disappointing for Duke as a freshman, but he has talent as a former five-star recruit who brings a connective skill set, some defensive physicality, and hopefully an improved shooting stroke to replace Alex Karaban in the lineup. The Huskies’ biggest addition was the guy they kept: Braylon Mullins felt like a lock to enter the 2026 NBA Draft, but instead he’s returning for his sophomore year with hopes of being a top-10 or top-5 pick in 2027. Getting back Silas Demary at point guard is a big addition, too. I won’t be shocked if UConn makes another Final Four run next season, but it’s going to be harder with top assistant Luke Murray now leading Boston College.
Darian DeVries missed the NCAA tournament in his first season as Indiana’s head coach, and the donors behind him are trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again in year two. Indiana added one of the better scoring guards available in Markus Burton, who was one of the country’s leading scorers as a sophomore before suffering a season-ending ankle injury as a junior. Burton will give the Hoosiers a high offensive floor every night with sharp playmaking instincts, too, and he also does well to get into the passing lanes defensively. Aiden Sherrell will be a welcome addition to the front court with his shot-blocking, offensive rebounding, and flashes of outside shooting after spending two years at Alabama. The wildcard of this group feels like Darren Harris, a former high four-star recruit who got lost in the shuffle at Duke last season, but should be a very good shooter with a solid frame. Samet Yigitoglu adds a 7’2 monster in the middle who proved he could block shots, hit the offensive glass, and finish plays inside last season at SMU. Indiana is going to be huge up front with one of the better shot-creating guards in the country in Burton. This team should be a shoo-in for the preseason top-25.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 19: Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams reacts to a basket during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Getty Images
Additions: Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU), Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame), Miles Rubin (Loyola-Chicago), Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal)
Tennessee has made three straight Elite Eight trips, and the program is pushing hard for even more with head coach Rick Barnes about to turn 72 years old. The Vols have put together a tremendous portal haul that should finally deliver them more offensive firepower to go along with their always strong defense. Tennessee landed a walking bucket in Terrence Hill Jr., who hit one of the biggest shots of March Madness and will provide three-level scorer, solid playmaking, and turnover suppression. Jalen Haralson was a borderline five-star recruit when he arrived at Notre Dame last year, and the 6’7 wing will bring connective passing and the ability to get to the foul line while his outside jumper develops. Miles Rubin is a bouncy big man who will block shots and catch lobs, while fellow Chicago native Dai Dai Ames brings more shooting touch to Tennessee. Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade will open up the floor even more with his movement shooting. Tennessee’s offense is finally going to be dynamic after their great work in the portal.
Additions: David Punch (TCU), Elyjah Freeman (Auburn), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), Amari Evans (Tennessee)
Texas was a bubble team that made a surprising Sweet 16 run this past season, and head coach Sean Miller immediately capitalized on that moment with a gigantic haul in the portal. David Punch will bolster the front court defense after coming over from TCU, where he showed excellent rebounding and advanced shot-blocking for a 6’7 power forward. Punch can also have troubles finishing at the rim, but he’s a really good mid-range scorer who can create his bucket when the offense breaks down. Former Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson was another major addition as an efficient volume scorer — 17 points per game on 63 percent true shooting — last season as a freshman. Johnson is quick and shifty off the bounce, and he finishes well at the rim (66 percent), ripped 37 percent of his threes, and got to the foul line at will. Elyjah Freeman is a long and athletic wing who was getting NBA looks at D2 before an up-and-down season at Auburn last year, but he has great physical tools and could take a bigger leap forward this season. Getting starting center Matas Vokietaitis back as good as landing a stud transfer, and McDonald’s All-American Austin Goosby should be an instant impact freshman. Texas is still waiting out the decision from Dailyn Swain, who should go to the NBA, but this team looks really good even without him.
Additions: Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas)
Flory Bidunga was the best player in the transfer portal, and Louisville beat out not just college basketball’s heavy hitters but also the NBA to land his commitment. While Bidunga is still testing the draft process, it feels like likely his money will be better in college next season, and that means he’ll be a Cardinal. Louisville didn’t stop there. Jackson Shelstad was expected to be one of the better guards in college basketball last season before a hand injury ended his season after only 12 games. His decision to leave Oregon for Louisville gives the Cardinals a guard who can knock down shots off the dribble, and also showed nice strides as a facilitator last season. Karter Knox comes over from Arkansas to give Pat Kelsey’s team a big wing who can hit spot-up threes and score in transition. Louisville also returned guard Adrian Wooley, who could take a leap in his second season playing high-major basketball after initially coming over from Kennesaw State. Bidunga’s bouncy rim protection and play-finishing should make him arguably the top big man in the sport next year, and that’s a great foundation for a team that should compete for the ACC championship and more.
It takes the right mix of roster retention and portal additions to truly build a great roster. There’s already an elite tier of contenders who are doing their best work by keeping top players on campus, including possible preseason No. 1 Illinois and the 2025 national champion Florida Gators. The teams on this list won’t have quite as much continuity on their side, but they’ll be happy to take more talent.
For everyone else, hope springs eternal in the offseason with the right portal grabs. Let’s rank the teams with the best transfer portal classes so far.
Additions: Miles Byrd (San Diego State), Arrinten Page (Northwestern), Devin Vanterpool (Florida Atlantic), Gavin Hightower (South Florida), Samson Aletan (Yale), Ryan Sabol (Buffalo)
Providence fired Kim English, hired Bryan Hodgson away from South Florida, and immediately started putting together a big-time transfer portal class. Miles Byrd might be the best off-ball defender in the country, and he’ll generate so many turnovers for the Friars after committing from San Diego State. Arrinten Page picked Providence after stops at USC, Cincinnati, and Northwestern, where he turned in a very solid junior year as a shot blocker, rebounder, and efficient interior scorer. Devin Vanterpool is a potential 3-and-D guard coming over after two years at FAU, while rising sophomore guard Gavin Hightower follows Hodgson from South Florida and should provide playmaking and pesky defense. Providence lost a ton of talent in the portal, too, but it’s clear last season’s mix wasn’t working, and this haul should make fans optimistic for the future under Hodgson.
Additions: Bryson Tiller (Kansas), Jamier Jones (Providence), Jaylen Carey (Tennessee)
Mizzou has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances under Dennis Gates, and they’re trying to make their first real run. The Tigers already had two McDonald’s All-Americans coming in with guard Jason Crowe and forward Toni Bryant, and now they’ve added even more talent to the front court with a nice trio of transfer portal additions. Jamier Jones was a coveted recruit who had a promising freshman season at Providence a year ago, showing off efficient scoring instincts and an ability to bully his way to the foul line. Bryson Tiller was another big-time recruit who played well as a freshman at Kansas, providing interior scoring, defensive rebounding, and shot-blocking as a 6’10 four man. Jaylen Carey will generate extra possessions as a monster rebounder coming over from Tennessee. Mizzou lost some big pieces in the portal too, including guard Anthony Robinson II to Florida State, but this feels like one of the more intriguing rosters in college hoops next season.
Additions: JaQuan Johnson (Bradley), Tre Singleton (Northwestern), Taj Manning (Kansas State), Leon Bond III (Northern Iowa), Ryan Prather Jr. (Robert Morris)
Iowa State is as consistent as it gets under TJ Otzelberger with five straight tournament appearances including three Sweet 16 trips. Doing it again will be a challenge after losing so much talent — including stars Joshua Jefferson to graduation and Milan Momcilovic to the transfer portal — but their own portal haul gives them a chance. JaQuan Johnson was one of the best mid-major players available as a tiny point guard who nonetheless hounds the ball defensively while splashing threes and getting teammates involved as a passer without turning the ball over. Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton feels primed for a sophomore leap after showing off 70 percent rim finishing, solid defensive rebounding, and some outside shooting potential. K-State transfer Taj Manning will add offensive rebounding and toughness inside, while Ryan Prather hits shots and gets teammates involved as a passer while suppressing turnovers. It’s hard to know exactly how good Iowa State is going to be after losing so many key players and coaching staff members, but they definitely rebounded well in the portal.
ATHENS, GA – NOVEMBER 17: Center Somto Cyril #2 of the Georgia Bulldogs dunks the ball during the college basketball game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the Georgia Bulldogs on November 17, 2025, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Additions: Somto Cyril (Georgia), Acaden Lewis (Villanova), DeSean Goode (Robert Morris)
Head coach Jai Lucas had an excellent debut season at Miami, and he’s building an even stronger roster for next season. Somto Cyril is a physical freak in the middle, combining a 7’7 wingspan with a 260-pound frame and jarring athletic traits. Cyril was good at Georgia last season, but he can be even better at Miami with the pieces around him. Acaden Lewis flew under the radar in a deep freshman class, but he was one of the better first-year point guards in America at Villanova. He’ll have plenty of weapons around him at Miami, and should be finding Cyril for rim assists early and often. DeSean Goode comes over from Robert Morris after winning Horizon League Player of the Year, and should be another solid piece of front court depth. Retaining Shelton Henderson for his sophomore year was a critical move, and the burly scoring forward could be downright scary if he improves his shooting touch. I also like incoming McDonald’s All-American Caleb Gaskins as a man-child forward who is actually young for his class, and should immediately be down to do the dirty work. Miami is going to be long and athletic and tough. That’s a winning combination.
UConn doesn’t rebuild, they reload. After three Final Four appearances and two national championships in the last four years, the Huskies are again looking like one of the top teams in the country by augmenting their talented core with two huge portal additions. Najai Hines was one of the most productive freshman bigs in the country on a per-minute basis, and he should fill Tarris Reed’s shoes wonderfully as a 265-pound tank with a high motor on both ends. Nik Khamenia was pretty disappointing for Duke as a freshman, but he has talent as a former five-star recruit who brings a connective skill set, some defensive physicality, and hopefully an improved shooting stroke to replace Alex Karaban in the lineup. The Huskies’ biggest addition was the guy they kept: Braylon Mullins felt like a lock to enter the 2026 NBA Draft, but instead he’s returning for his sophomore year with hopes of being a top-10 or top-5 pick in 2027. Getting back Silas Demary at point guard is a big addition, too. I won’t be shocked if UConn makes another Final Four run next season, but it’s going to be harder with top assistant Luke Murray now leading Boston College.
Darian DeVries missed the NCAA tournament in his first season as Indiana’s head coach, and the donors behind him are trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again in year two. Indiana added one of the better scoring guards available in Markus Burton, who was one of the country’s leading scorers as a sophomore before suffering a season-ending ankle injury as a junior. Burton will give the Hoosiers a high offensive floor every night with sharp playmaking instincts, too, and he also does well to get into the passing lanes defensively. Aiden Sherrell will be a welcome addition to the front court with his shot-blocking, offensive rebounding, and flashes of outside shooting after spending two years at Alabama. The wildcard of this group feels like Darren Harris, a former high four-star recruit who got lost in the shuffle at Duke last season, but should be a very good shooter with a solid frame. Samet Yigitoglu adds a 7’2 monster in the middle who proved he could block shots, hit the offensive glass, and finish plays inside last season at SMU. Indiana is going to be huge up front with one of the better shot-creating guards in the country in Burton. This team should be a shoo-in for the preseason top-25.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 19: Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams reacts to a basket during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Getty Images
Additions: Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU), Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame), Miles Rubin (Loyola-Chicago), Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal)
Tennessee has made three straight Elite Eight trips, and the program is pushing hard for even more with head coach Rick Barnes about to turn 72 years old. The Vols have put together a tremendous portal haul that should finally deliver them more offensive firepower to go along with their always strong defense. Tennessee landed a walking bucket in Terrence Hill Jr., who hit one of the biggest shots of March Madness and will provide three-level scorer, solid playmaking, and turnover suppression. Jalen Haralson was a borderline five-star recruit when he arrived at Notre Dame last year, and the 6’7 wing will bring connective passing and the ability to get to the foul line while his outside jumper develops. Miles Rubin is a bouncy big man who will block shots and catch lobs, while fellow Chicago native Dai Dai Ames brings more shooting touch to Tennessee. Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade will open up the floor even more with his movement shooting. Tennessee’s offense is finally going to be dynamic after their great work in the portal.
Additions: David Punch (TCU), Elyjah Freeman (Auburn), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), Amari Evans (Tennessee)
Texas was a bubble team that made a surprising Sweet 16 run this past season, and head coach Sean Miller immediately capitalized on that moment with a gigantic haul in the portal. David Punch will bolster the front court defense after coming over from TCU, where he showed excellent rebounding and advanced shot-blocking for a 6’7 power forward. Punch can also have troubles finishing at the rim, but he’s a really good mid-range scorer who can create his bucket when the offense breaks down. Former Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson was another major addition as an efficient volume scorer — 17 points per game on 63 percent true shooting — last season as a freshman. Johnson is quick and shifty off the bounce, and he finishes well at the rim (66 percent), ripped 37 percent of his threes, and got to the foul line at will. Elyjah Freeman is a long and athletic wing who was getting NBA looks at D2 before an up-and-down season at Auburn last year, but he has great physical tools and could take a bigger leap forward this season. Getting starting center Matas Vokietaitis back as good as landing a stud transfer, and McDonald’s All-American Austin Goosby should be an instant impact freshman. Texas is still waiting out the decision from Dailyn Swain, who should go to the NBA, but this team looks really good even without him.
Additions: Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas)
Flory Bidunga was the best player in the transfer portal, and Louisville beat out not just college basketball’s heavy hitters but also the NBA to land his commitment. While Bidunga is still testing the draft process, it feels like likely his money will be better in college next season, and that means he’ll be a Cardinal. Louisville didn’t stop there. Jackson Shelstad was expected to be one of the better guards in college basketball last season before a hand injury ended his season after only 12 games. His decision to leave Oregon for Louisville gives the Cardinals a guard who can knock down shots off the dribble, and also showed nice strides as a facilitator last season. Karter Knox comes over from Arkansas to give Pat Kelsey’s team a big wing who can hit spot-up threes and score in transition. Louisville also returned guard Adrian Wooley, who could take a leap in his second season playing high-major basketball after initially coming over from Kennesaw State. Bidunga’s bouncy rim protection and play-finishing should make him arguably the top big man in the sport next year, and that’s a great foundation for a team that should compete for the ACC championship and more.
#College #basketball #transfer #portal #team #rankings #mens #classes">College basketball transfer portal team rankings for 9 best men’s classes in 2026 so far
The Michigan Wolverines proved it’s possible to build a national championship team almost entirely through the transfer portal. The Wolverines pulled in the top portal haul in America a year ago, and then went out and drilled almost every team on their path in March Madness to cut down the nets. Critics said Michigan “bought” its national title, but plenty of other power conference schools had the ability to bring in players like future NBA lottery pick Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, and Elliot Cadeau — they just lacked the vision.
It takes the right mix of roster retention and portal additions to truly build a great roster. There’s already an elite tier of contenders who are doing their best work by keeping top players on campus, including possible preseason No. 1 Illinois and the 2025 national champion Florida Gators. The teams on this list won’t have quite as much continuity on their side, but they’ll be happy to take more talent.
For everyone else, hope springs eternal in the offseason with the right portal grabs. Let’s rank the teams with the best transfer portal classes so far.
Additions: Miles Byrd (San Diego State), Arrinten Page (Northwestern), Devin Vanterpool (Florida Atlantic), Gavin Hightower (South Florida), Samson Aletan (Yale), Ryan Sabol (Buffalo)
Providence fired Kim English, hired Bryan Hodgson away from South Florida, and immediately started putting together a big-time transfer portal class. Miles Byrd might be the best off-ball defender in the country, and he’ll generate so many turnovers for the Friars after committing from San Diego State. Arrinten Page picked Providence after stops at USC, Cincinnati, and Northwestern, where he turned in a very solid junior year as a shot blocker, rebounder, and efficient interior scorer. Devin Vanterpool is a potential 3-and-D guard coming over after two years at FAU, while rising sophomore guard Gavin Hightower follows Hodgson from South Florida and should provide playmaking and pesky defense. Providence lost a ton of talent in the portal, too, but it’s clear last season’s mix wasn’t working, and this haul should make fans optimistic for the future under Hodgson.
Additions: Bryson Tiller (Kansas), Jamier Jones (Providence), Jaylen Carey (Tennessee)
Mizzou has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances under Dennis Gates, and they’re trying to make their first real run. The Tigers already had two McDonald’s All-Americans coming in with guard Jason Crowe and forward Toni Bryant, and now they’ve added even more talent to the front court with a nice trio of transfer portal additions. Jamier Jones was a coveted recruit who had a promising freshman season at Providence a year ago, showing off efficient scoring instincts and an ability to bully his way to the foul line. Bryson Tiller was another big-time recruit who played well as a freshman at Kansas, providing interior scoring, defensive rebounding, and shot-blocking as a 6’10 four man. Jaylen Carey will generate extra possessions as a monster rebounder coming over from Tennessee. Mizzou lost some big pieces in the portal too, including guard Anthony Robinson II to Florida State, but this feels like one of the more intriguing rosters in college hoops next season.
Additions: JaQuan Johnson (Bradley), Tre Singleton (Northwestern), Taj Manning (Kansas State), Leon Bond III (Northern Iowa), Ryan Prather Jr. (Robert Morris)
Iowa State is as consistent as it gets under TJ Otzelberger with five straight tournament appearances including three Sweet 16 trips. Doing it again will be a challenge after losing so much talent — including stars Joshua Jefferson to graduation and Milan Momcilovic to the transfer portal — but their own portal haul gives them a chance. JaQuan Johnson was one of the best mid-major players available as a tiny point guard who nonetheless hounds the ball defensively while splashing threes and getting teammates involved as a passer without turning the ball over. Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton feels primed for a sophomore leap after showing off 70 percent rim finishing, solid defensive rebounding, and some outside shooting potential. K-State transfer Taj Manning will add offensive rebounding and toughness inside, while Ryan Prather hits shots and gets teammates involved as a passer while suppressing turnovers. It’s hard to know exactly how good Iowa State is going to be after losing so many key players and coaching staff members, but they definitely rebounded well in the portal.
ATHENS, GA – NOVEMBER 17: Center Somto Cyril #2 of the Georgia Bulldogs dunks the ball during the college basketball game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the Georgia Bulldogs on November 17, 2025, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Additions: Somto Cyril (Georgia), Acaden Lewis (Villanova), DeSean Goode (Robert Morris)
Head coach Jai Lucas had an excellent debut season at Miami, and he’s building an even stronger roster for next season. Somto Cyril is a physical freak in the middle, combining a 7’7 wingspan with a 260-pound frame and jarring athletic traits. Cyril was good at Georgia last season, but he can be even better at Miami with the pieces around him. Acaden Lewis flew under the radar in a deep freshman class, but he was one of the better first-year point guards in America at Villanova. He’ll have plenty of weapons around him at Miami, and should be finding Cyril for rim assists early and often. DeSean Goode comes over from Robert Morris after winning Horizon League Player of the Year, and should be another solid piece of front court depth. Retaining Shelton Henderson for his sophomore year was a critical move, and the burly scoring forward could be downright scary if he improves his shooting touch. I also like incoming McDonald’s All-American Caleb Gaskins as a man-child forward who is actually young for his class, and should immediately be down to do the dirty work. Miami is going to be long and athletic and tough. That’s a winning combination.
UConn doesn’t rebuild, they reload. After three Final Four appearances and two national championships in the last four years, the Huskies are again looking like one of the top teams in the country by augmenting their talented core with two huge portal additions. Najai Hines was one of the most productive freshman bigs in the country on a per-minute basis, and he should fill Tarris Reed’s shoes wonderfully as a 265-pound tank with a high motor on both ends. Nik Khamenia was pretty disappointing for Duke as a freshman, but he has talent as a former five-star recruit who brings a connective skill set, some defensive physicality, and hopefully an improved shooting stroke to replace Alex Karaban in the lineup. The Huskies’ biggest addition was the guy they kept: Braylon Mullins felt like a lock to enter the 2026 NBA Draft, but instead he’s returning for his sophomore year with hopes of being a top-10 or top-5 pick in 2027. Getting back Silas Demary at point guard is a big addition, too. I won’t be shocked if UConn makes another Final Four run next season, but it’s going to be harder with top assistant Luke Murray now leading Boston College.
Darian DeVries missed the NCAA tournament in his first season as Indiana’s head coach, and the donors behind him are trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again in year two. Indiana added one of the better scoring guards available in Markus Burton, who was one of the country’s leading scorers as a sophomore before suffering a season-ending ankle injury as a junior. Burton will give the Hoosiers a high offensive floor every night with sharp playmaking instincts, too, and he also does well to get into the passing lanes defensively. Aiden Sherrell will be a welcome addition to the front court with his shot-blocking, offensive rebounding, and flashes of outside shooting after spending two years at Alabama. The wildcard of this group feels like Darren Harris, a former high four-star recruit who got lost in the shuffle at Duke last season, but should be a very good shooter with a solid frame. Samet Yigitoglu adds a 7’2 monster in the middle who proved he could block shots, hit the offensive glass, and finish plays inside last season at SMU. Indiana is going to be huge up front with one of the better shot-creating guards in the country in Burton. This team should be a shoo-in for the preseason top-25.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 19: Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams reacts to a basket during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Getty Images
Additions: Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU), Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame), Miles Rubin (Loyola-Chicago), Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal)
Tennessee has made three straight Elite Eight trips, and the program is pushing hard for even more with head coach Rick Barnes about to turn 72 years old. The Vols have put together a tremendous portal haul that should finally deliver them more offensive firepower to go along with their always strong defense. Tennessee landed a walking bucket in Terrence Hill Jr., who hit one of the biggest shots of March Madness and will provide three-level scorer, solid playmaking, and turnover suppression. Jalen Haralson was a borderline five-star recruit when he arrived at Notre Dame last year, and the 6’7 wing will bring connective passing and the ability to get to the foul line while his outside jumper develops. Miles Rubin is a bouncy big man who will block shots and catch lobs, while fellow Chicago native Dai Dai Ames brings more shooting touch to Tennessee. Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade will open up the floor even more with his movement shooting. Tennessee’s offense is finally going to be dynamic after their great work in the portal.
Additions: David Punch (TCU), Elyjah Freeman (Auburn), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), Amari Evans (Tennessee)
Texas was a bubble team that made a surprising Sweet 16 run this past season, and head coach Sean Miller immediately capitalized on that moment with a gigantic haul in the portal. David Punch will bolster the front court defense after coming over from TCU, where he showed excellent rebounding and advanced shot-blocking for a 6’7 power forward. Punch can also have troubles finishing at the rim, but he’s a really good mid-range scorer who can create his bucket when the offense breaks down. Former Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson was another major addition as an efficient volume scorer — 17 points per game on 63 percent true shooting — last season as a freshman. Johnson is quick and shifty off the bounce, and he finishes well at the rim (66 percent), ripped 37 percent of his threes, and got to the foul line at will. Elyjah Freeman is a long and athletic wing who was getting NBA looks at D2 before an up-and-down season at Auburn last year, but he has great physical tools and could take a bigger leap forward this season. Getting starting center Matas Vokietaitis back as good as landing a stud transfer, and McDonald’s All-American Austin Goosby should be an instant impact freshman. Texas is still waiting out the decision from Dailyn Swain, who should go to the NBA, but this team looks really good even without him.
Additions: Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas)
Flory Bidunga was the best player in the transfer portal, and Louisville beat out not just college basketball’s heavy hitters but also the NBA to land his commitment. While Bidunga is still testing the draft process, it feels like likely his money will be better in college next season, and that means he’ll be a Cardinal. Louisville didn’t stop there. Jackson Shelstad was expected to be one of the better guards in college basketball last season before a hand injury ended his season after only 12 games. His decision to leave Oregon for Louisville gives the Cardinals a guard who can knock down shots off the dribble, and also showed nice strides as a facilitator last season. Karter Knox comes over from Arkansas to give Pat Kelsey’s team a big wing who can hit spot-up threes and score in transition. Louisville also returned guard Adrian Wooley, who could take a leap in his second season playing high-major basketball after initially coming over from Kennesaw State. Bidunga’s bouncy rim protection and play-finishing should make him arguably the top big man in the sport next year, and that’s a great foundation for a team that should compete for the ACC championship and more.
Andrej Stojakovic announced he was returning to Illinois for his senior season on Friday afternoon. Stojakovic’s announcement follows commitments to return earlier this week from teammates David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis. The Illini will lose Keaton Wagler to the 2026 NBA Draft, where he’s expected to be a top-7 pick, but they’re bringing back almost everyone else.
Wagler is a significant loss, but Illinois found what feels like a perfect replacement for him in Providence guard Stefan Vaaks in the transfer portal. Like Wagler, Vaaks is a tall (6’7), skinny guard who is at his best shooting threes off the dribble. Vaaks made 35 percent of his threes on 91-of-260 shooting from behind the arc last year as a freshman. More than 35 percent of those shots were unassisted.
Illinois found a winning formula this past season by launching threes at will and hitting the offensive glass hard. The Illini took 49.7 percent of their field goal attempts from three-point range, which ranked No. 15 in DI. They grabbed 39.2 percent of their misses, which ranked No. 3 overall in offensive rebound rate. The offense ended the year at No. 2 in efficiency by scoring an incredible 131.2 points per 100 possessions.
This type of roster retention for an elite team is incredibly rare in the transfer portal era. Last year’s average was 31 percent roster retention, according to Evan Miyakawa. The Illini are bringing back five players who played at least 42 percent of the available minutes last year. Most college teams need to build continuity early in the season. The Illini will already have it.
Illinois could be No. 1 team in college basketball’s preseason poll for 2026-27
I don’t see a team that deserves to be ranked ahead of Illinois right now for the 2026-27 season. I’ll predict the Illini will rank No. 1 in the AP Poll preseason poll when it’s released closer to the season.
Losing Wagler to the NBA and Kylan Boswell to graduation is a big deal, but it shouldn’t matter. Illinois is keeping its ridiculously talented front court in place that features two 7’1 guys who can shoot it and protect the rim in the Ivisic twins, plus a 6’9 brawler in Mirkovic who cleans the glass, stretches the floor, and can even run a little bit of offense with the ball in his hands. Davis is a veteran wing who hits 40 percent of his threes and doesn’t turn the ball over. Stojakovic is a deadly slasher and stout perimeter defender with a big body for a wing.
Add in Vaaks’ pull-up shooting and the addition of incoming freshmen Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo, and this Illinois team should be really, really good.
Vaaks will need to take a playmaking leap. Coleman is a four-star recruit with a skinny frame and shooting ability, and it will be interesting to see if Brad Underwood can develop him in a similar way to Wagler. Morillo is a 6’7 wing with a mean streak defensively who can also run some offense with the ball in his hands. The Illini are still in the mix for Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who we ranked as a top-5 portal player available, and if they get him that would be an embarrassment of riches.
Illinois will have competition for No. 1 in the polls. Florida is bringing back Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon as two players who would have been drafted in June if they turned pro. UConn is also crushing the portal by landing Najai Hines and retaining guard Silas Demary. Michigan is expected to lose Aday Mara and Morez Johnson to the NBA, but if they somehow brought both back, the Wolverines would have to be No. 1 in the polls. Louisville deserves consideration after bringing in Flory Bidunga and two other stud transfers.
Most of the traditional powerhouses have work to do. Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, and North Carolina have all had a quiet offseason. The balance of power might be shifting in men’s college basketball. At least going into next season, the Illini are as good as anyone.
Andrej Stojakovic announced he was returning to Illinois for his senior season on Friday afternoon. Stojakovic’s announcement follows commitments to return earlier this week from teammates David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis. The Illini will lose Keaton Wagler to the 2026 NBA Draft, where he’s expected to be a top-7 pick, but they’re bringing back almost everyone else.
Wagler is a significant loss, but Illinois found what feels like a perfect replacement for him in Providence guard Stefan Vaaks in the transfer portal. Like Wagler, Vaaks is a tall (6’7), skinny guard who is at his best shooting threes off the dribble. Vaaks made 35 percent of his threes on 91-of-260 shooting from behind the arc last year as a freshman. More than 35 percent of those shots were unassisted.
Illinois found a winning formula this past season by launching threes at will and hitting the offensive glass hard. The Illini took 49.7 percent of their field goal attempts from three-point range, which ranked No. 15 in DI. They grabbed 39.2 percent of their misses, which ranked No. 3 overall in offensive rebound rate. The offense ended the year at No. 2 in efficiency by scoring an incredible 131.2 points per 100 possessions.
This type of roster retention for an elite team is incredibly rare in the transfer portal era. Last year’s average was 31 percent roster retention, according to Evan Miyakawa. The Illini are bringing back five players who played at least 42 percent of the available minutes last year. Most college teams need to build continuity early in the season. The Illini will already have it.
Illinois could be No. 1 team in college basketball’s preseason poll for 2026-27
I don’t see a team that deserves to be ranked ahead of Illinois right now for the 2026-27 season. I’ll predict the Illini will rank No. 1 in the AP Poll preseason poll when it’s released closer to the season.
Losing Wagler to the NBA and Kylan Boswell to graduation is a big deal, but it shouldn’t matter. Illinois is keeping its ridiculously talented front court in place that features two 7’1 guys who can shoot it and protect the rim in the Ivisic twins, plus a 6’9 brawler in Mirkovic who cleans the glass, stretches the floor, and can even run a little bit of offense with the ball in his hands. Davis is a veteran wing who hits 40 percent of his threes and doesn’t turn the ball over. Stojakovic is a deadly slasher and stout perimeter defender with a big body for a wing.
Add in Vaaks’ pull-up shooting and the addition of incoming freshmen Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo, and this Illinois team should be really, really good.
Vaaks will need to take a playmaking leap. Coleman is a four-star recruit with a skinny frame and shooting ability, and it will be interesting to see if Brad Underwood can develop him in a similar way to Wagler. Morillo is a 6’7 wing with a mean streak defensively who can also run some offense with the ball in his hands. The Illini are still in the mix for Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who we ranked as a top-5 portal player available, and if they get him that would be an embarrassment of riches.
Illinois will have competition for No. 1 in the polls. Florida is bringing back Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon as two players who would have been drafted in June if they turned pro. UConn is also crushing the portal by landing Najai Hines and retaining guard Silas Demary. Michigan is expected to lose Aday Mara and Morez Johnson to the NBA, but if they somehow brought both back, the Wolverines would have to be No. 1 in the polls. Louisville deserves consideration after bringing in Flory Bidunga and two other stud transfers.
Most of the traditional powerhouses have work to do. Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, and North Carolina have all had a quiet offseason. The balance of power might be shifting in men’s college basketball. At least going into next season, the Illini are as good as anyone.
#Illinois #mens #college #basketball #preseason #rankings #retaining #top #players">Illinois looks like No. 1 in men’s college basketball preseason rankings after retaining top players
The Illinois Fighting Illini reached the Final Four of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005. Illinois ended up losing a tight game to the UConn Huskies before Michigan cut down the nets in the national championship game. Most programs as successful as Illinois was this past season are scrambling right now to replace the loss of key players to the NBA Draft or the transfer portal. The Illini are the exception, and it’s setting them up for another big year next season.
Andrej Stojakovic announced he was returning to Illinois for his senior season on Friday afternoon. Stojakovic’s announcement follows commitments to return earlier this week from teammates David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis. The Illini will lose Keaton Wagler to the 2026 NBA Draft, where he’s expected to be a top-7 pick, but they’re bringing back almost everyone else.
Wagler is a significant loss, but Illinois found what feels like a perfect replacement for him in Providence guard Stefan Vaaks in the transfer portal. Like Wagler, Vaaks is a tall (6’7), skinny guard who is at his best shooting threes off the dribble. Vaaks made 35 percent of his threes on 91-of-260 shooting from behind the arc last year as a freshman. More than 35 percent of those shots were unassisted.
Illinois found a winning formula this past season by launching threes at will and hitting the offensive glass hard. The Illini took 49.7 percent of their field goal attempts from three-point range, which ranked No. 15 in DI. They grabbed 39.2 percent of their misses, which ranked No. 3 overall in offensive rebound rate. The offense ended the year at No. 2 in efficiency by scoring an incredible 131.2 points per 100 possessions.
This type of roster retention for an elite team is incredibly rare in the transfer portal era. Last year’s average was 31 percent roster retention, according to Evan Miyakawa. The Illini are bringing back five players who played at least 42 percent of the available minutes last year. Most college teams need to build continuity early in the season. The Illini will already have it.
Illinois could be No. 1 team in college basketball’s preseason poll for 2026-27
I don’t see a team that deserves to be ranked ahead of Illinois right now for the 2026-27 season. I’ll predict the Illini will rank No. 1 in the AP Poll preseason poll when it’s released closer to the season.
Losing Wagler to the NBA and Kylan Boswell to graduation is a big deal, but it shouldn’t matter. Illinois is keeping its ridiculously talented front court in place that features two 7’1 guys who can shoot it and protect the rim in the Ivisic twins, plus a 6’9 brawler in Mirkovic who cleans the glass, stretches the floor, and can even run a little bit of offense with the ball in his hands. Davis is a veteran wing who hits 40 percent of his threes and doesn’t turn the ball over. Stojakovic is a deadly slasher and stout perimeter defender with a big body for a wing.
Add in Vaaks’ pull-up shooting and the addition of incoming freshmen Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo, and this Illinois team should be really, really good.
Vaaks will need to take a playmaking leap. Coleman is a four-star recruit with a skinny frame and shooting ability, and it will be interesting to see if Brad Underwood can develop him in a similar way to Wagler. Morillo is a 6’7 wing with a mean streak defensively who can also run some offense with the ball in his hands. The Illini are still in the mix for Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who we ranked as a top-5 portal player available, and if they get him that would be an embarrassment of riches.
Illinois will have competition for No. 1 in the polls. Florida is bringing back Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon as two players who would have been drafted in June if they turned pro. UConn is also crushing the portal by landing Najai Hines and retaining guard Silas Demary. Michigan is expected to lose Aday Mara and Morez Johnson to the NBA, but if they somehow brought both back, the Wolverines would have to be No. 1 in the polls. Louisville deserves consideration after bringing in Flory Bidunga and two other stud transfers.
Most of the traditional powerhouses have work to do. Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, and North Carolina have all had a quiet offseason. The balance of power might be shifting in men’s college basketball. At least going into next season, the Illini are as good as anyone.
