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LSU announced that Wade had signed former St. John’s star R.J. Luis. The 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year, Luis opted last spring to spurn another year in college in favor of chasing his NBA dream. He went undrafted.

While there were rumors last summer that Wade was trying to convince Luis to sign with him at NC State, the 6’7 wing ultimately inked a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. Two months later he was traded to the Boston Celtics. Though he was waived by Boston before the start of the 2025-26 season, Luis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

The Luis signing has immediately drawn comparisons to the Charles Bediako situation that Alabama went through this past season.

In 2023, Bediako had left school early to play in the NBA, gone undrafted, ultimately signed a two-way contract with San Antonio, and competed in the G League as a professional over parts of three seasons. He then re-signed with Alabama and played five games for the Crimson Tide between January 24 and February 7 thanks to a temporary restraining order. On February 9, his temporary restraining order expired and he was denied a motion to play out the remainder of the season.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement last December in response to the Bediako situation.

Wade’s reasons for pushing the envelope here extend beyond his established status as a provocateur.

Since making the highly controversial jump from NC State back to LSU after just one season in Raleigh, Wade has had a more difficult time piecing together a roster than he likely anticipated. The Tigers are returning essentially zero production from last season’s 15-17 squad and have no incoming freshmen from the recruiting class of 2026. This would be fine if Wade was crushing it in the NCAA transfer portal. He hasn’t been.

Wade has inked just four players from the portal so far this spring — Divine Ugochukwu from Michigan State, Abdi Bashir from Kansas State, Mo Dioubate from Kentucky, and Austin Nunez from UTSA. That’s a four man class that has LSU currently ranked No. 40 in 247 Sports’ team portal rankings. At a time when most major conference programs are putting the finishing touches on their 2026-27 rosters, Wade and the Tigers are very much in scramble mode.

Earlier this month, Wade beat out Kentucky to sign 23-year-old Brazilian big man Marcio Santos of the Israeli league. In addition to signing Madar and Luis, there are reports that Wade has also been pursuing 22-year-old Saliou Niang, who is currently competing in the Italian Wing. With so few uncommitted impactful players in the portal remaining, it’s apparent at this time that Wade’s last ditch effort to produce a roster that can be competitive in the ultra-difficult SEC revolves around signing as many pros as possible and hoping at least a handful of them will be deemed eligible by the NCAA.

Given the precedent set by the Bediako situation, it seems extremely unlikely that the NCAA will clear Luis for a return to college basketball in 2026-27. Madar has more of a shot (somehow), but it still seems more likely than not that the NCAA will do everything in its power to keep the seasoned EuroLeague vet from spending the first four months of his 26th year playing college basketball.

For any other power conference college basketball coach, the actions taken by Wade this week would reek of desperation and a lack of any sort of respect for the last vestiges of the sanctity of college hoops. But for a man who has spent the better part of his kicking at lines like a leadoff batter on a dirt field and still managed to fall upwards more times than not, it’s almost hard to blame him for continuing to exist in the shadowy world he knows better than anyone.

#world #Wade #LSU #mens #basketball"> What in the world is Will Wade trying to do at LSU men’s basketball? The proverbial lines that regulate college sports have never been more difficult to identify than they are at this present moment in time. Players that would have been declared ineligible without a second thought as recently as five years ago are now not just being allowed to suit up for collegiate athletic programs across the country, they’re being paid handsomely (in some cases extremely handsomely) to do so.Even in this current climate, every now and then there comes a situation where the line crossing becomes akin to pornography: You might not be able to fully articulate exactly what lines have been breached, but you know it when you see it.Enter, of course, Will Wade. The man who was openly talking about paying players before it was cool (or allowed) is back to pushing the envelope in Baton Rouge like Kendrick Lamar and Drake are lightly lobbing sneak disses at one another.On Monday, Wade made headlines for signing 25-year-old Israeli point guard Yam Madar to a reported million deal. Not only is Madar a EuroLeague vet at this point — his Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. squad just faced Real Madrid Baloncesto in a EuroLeague quarterfinal — but he was the 47th overall pick by Boston in the 2020 NBA Draft. For reference, that’s the same draft where Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton all had their names called.Madar, who will turn 26-years-old in December, never signed with the Celtics, but the franchise still owns his draft rights. He was the EuroLeague’s “Rising Star” award recipient in 2023, and averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 16 appearances for Hapoel Tel Aviv in league play last season.If that piece of news wasn’t splashy enough, less than 24 hours later LSU announced that Wade had signed former St. John’s star R.J. Luis. The 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year, Luis opted last spring to spurn another year in college in favor of chasing his NBA dream. He went undrafted.While there were rumors last summer that Wade was trying to convince Luis to sign with him at NC State, the 6’7 wing ultimately inked a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. Two months later he was traded to the Boston Celtics. Though he was waived by Boston before the start of the 2025-26 season, Luis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.The Luis signing has immediately drawn comparisons to the Charles Bediako situation that Alabama went through this past season.In 2023, Bediako had left school early to play in the NBA, gone undrafted, ultimately signed a two-way contract with San Antonio, and competed in the G League as a professional over parts of three seasons. He then re-signed with Alabama and played five games for the Crimson Tide between January 24 and February 7 thanks to a temporary restraining order. On February 9, his temporary restraining order expired and he was denied a motion to play out the remainder of the season.“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement last December in response to the Bediako situation.Wade’s reasons for pushing the envelope here extend beyond his established status as a provocateur.Since making the highly controversial jump from NC State back to LSU after just one season in Raleigh, Wade has had a more difficult time piecing together a roster than he likely anticipated. The Tigers are returning essentially zero production from last season’s 15-17 squad and have no incoming freshmen from the recruiting class of 2026. This would be fine if Wade was crushing it in the NCAA transfer portal. He hasn’t been.Wade has inked just four players from the portal so far this spring — Divine Ugochukwu from Michigan State, Abdi Bashir from Kansas State, Mo Dioubate from Kentucky, and Austin Nunez from UTSA. That’s a four man class that has LSU currently ranked No. 40 in 247 Sports’ team portal rankings. At a time when most major conference programs are putting the finishing touches on their 2026-27 rosters, Wade and the Tigers are very much in scramble mode.Earlier this month, Wade beat out Kentucky to sign 23-year-old Brazilian big man Marcio Santos of the Israeli league. In addition to signing Madar and Luis, there are reports that Wade has also been pursuing 22-year-old Saliou Niang, who is currently competing in the Italian Wing. With so few uncommitted impactful players in the portal remaining, it’s apparent at this time that Wade’s last ditch effort to produce a roster that can be competitive in the ultra-difficult SEC revolves around signing as many pros as possible and hoping at least a handful of them will be deemed eligible by the NCAA.Given the precedent set by the Bediako situation, it seems extremely unlikely that the NCAA will clear Luis for a return to college basketball in 2026-27. Madar has more of a shot (somehow), but it still seems more likely than not that the NCAA will do everything in its power to keep the seasoned EuroLeague vet from spending the first four months of his 26th year playing college basketball.For any other power conference college basketball coach, the actions taken by Wade this week would reek of desperation and a lack of any sort of respect for the last vestiges of the sanctity of college hoops. But for a man who has spent the better part of his kicking at lines like a leadoff batter on a dirt field and still managed to fall upwards more times than not, it’s almost hard to blame him for continuing to exist in the shadowy world he knows better than anyone. #world #Wade #LSU #mens #basketball
Sports news

LSU announced that Wade had signed former St. John’s star R.J. Luis. The 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year, Luis opted last spring to spurn another year in college in favor of chasing his NBA dream. He went undrafted.

While there were rumors last summer that Wade was trying to convince Luis to sign with him at NC State, the 6’7 wing ultimately inked a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. Two months later he was traded to the Boston Celtics. Though he was waived by Boston before the start of the 2025-26 season, Luis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

The Luis signing has immediately drawn comparisons to the Charles Bediako situation that Alabama went through this past season.

In 2023, Bediako had left school early to play in the NBA, gone undrafted, ultimately signed a two-way contract with San Antonio, and competed in the G League as a professional over parts of three seasons. He then re-signed with Alabama and played five games for the Crimson Tide between January 24 and February 7 thanks to a temporary restraining order. On February 9, his temporary restraining order expired and he was denied a motion to play out the remainder of the season.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement last December in response to the Bediako situation.

Wade’s reasons for pushing the envelope here extend beyond his established status as a provocateur.

Since making the highly controversial jump from NC State back to LSU after just one season in Raleigh, Wade has had a more difficult time piecing together a roster than he likely anticipated. The Tigers are returning essentially zero production from last season’s 15-17 squad and have no incoming freshmen from the recruiting class of 2026. This would be fine if Wade was crushing it in the NCAA transfer portal. He hasn’t been.

Wade has inked just four players from the portal so far this spring — Divine Ugochukwu from Michigan State, Abdi Bashir from Kansas State, Mo Dioubate from Kentucky, and Austin Nunez from UTSA. That’s a four man class that has LSU currently ranked No. 40 in 247 Sports’ team portal rankings. At a time when most major conference programs are putting the finishing touches on their 2026-27 rosters, Wade and the Tigers are very much in scramble mode.

Earlier this month, Wade beat out Kentucky to sign 23-year-old Brazilian big man Marcio Santos of the Israeli league. In addition to signing Madar and Luis, there are reports that Wade has also been pursuing 22-year-old Saliou Niang, who is currently competing in the Italian Wing. With so few uncommitted impactful players in the portal remaining, it’s apparent at this time that Wade’s last ditch effort to produce a roster that can be competitive in the ultra-difficult SEC revolves around signing as many pros as possible and hoping at least a handful of them will be deemed eligible by the NCAA.

Given the precedent set by the Bediako situation, it seems extremely unlikely that the NCAA will clear Luis for a return to college basketball in 2026-27. Madar has more of a shot (somehow), but it still seems more likely than not that the NCAA will do everything in its power to keep the seasoned EuroLeague vet from spending the first four months of his 26th year playing college basketball.

For any other power conference college basketball coach, the actions taken by Wade this week would reek of desperation and a lack of any sort of respect for the last vestiges of the sanctity of college hoops. But for a man who has spent the better part of his kicking at lines like a leadoff batter on a dirt field and still managed to fall upwards more times than not, it’s almost hard to blame him for continuing to exist in the shadowy world he knows better than anyone.

#world #Wade #LSU #mens #basketball">What in the world is Will Wade trying to do at LSU men’s basketball?

The proverbial lines that regulate college sports have never been more difficult to identify than they are at this present moment in time. Players that would have been declared ineligible without a second thought as recently as five years ago are now not just being allowed to suit up for collegiate athletic programs across the country, they’re being paid handsomely (in some cases extremely handsomely) to do so.

Even in this current climate, every now and then there comes a situation where the line crossing becomes akin to pornography: You might not be able to fully articulate exactly what lines have been breached, but you know it when you see it.

Enter, of course, Will Wade. The man who was openly talking about paying players before it was cool (or allowed) is back to pushing the envelope in Baton Rouge like Kendrick Lamar and Drake are lightly lobbing sneak disses at one another.

On Monday, Wade made headlines for signing 25-year-old Israeli point guard Yam Madar to a reported $5 million deal. Not only is Madar a EuroLeague vet at this point — his Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. squad just faced Real Madrid Baloncesto in a EuroLeague quarterfinal — but he was the 47th overall pick by Boston in the 2020 NBA Draft. For reference, that’s the same draft where Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton all had their names called.

Madar, who will turn 26-years-old in December, never signed with the Celtics, but the franchise still owns his draft rights. He was the EuroLeague’s “Rising Star” award recipient in 2023, and averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 16 appearances for Hapoel Tel Aviv in league play last season.

If that piece of news wasn’t splashy enough, less than 24 hours later LSU announced that Wade had signed former St. John’s star R.J. Luis. The 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year, Luis opted last spring to spurn another year in college in favor of chasing his NBA dream. He went undrafted.

While there were rumors last summer that Wade was trying to convince Luis to sign with him at NC State, the 6’7 wing ultimately inked a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. Two months later he was traded to the Boston Celtics. Though he was waived by Boston before the start of the 2025-26 season, Luis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

The Luis signing has immediately drawn comparisons to the Charles Bediako situation that Alabama went through this past season.

In 2023, Bediako had left school early to play in the NBA, gone undrafted, ultimately signed a two-way contract with San Antonio, and competed in the G League as a professional over parts of three seasons. He then re-signed with Alabama and played five games for the Crimson Tide between January 24 and February 7 thanks to a temporary restraining order. On February 9, his temporary restraining order expired and he was denied a motion to play out the remainder of the season.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement last December in response to the Bediako situation.

Wade’s reasons for pushing the envelope here extend beyond his established status as a provocateur.

Since making the highly controversial jump from NC State back to LSU after just one season in Raleigh, Wade has had a more difficult time piecing together a roster than he likely anticipated. The Tigers are returning essentially zero production from last season’s 15-17 squad and have no incoming freshmen from the recruiting class of 2026. This would be fine if Wade was crushing it in the NCAA transfer portal. He hasn’t been.

Wade has inked just four players from the portal so far this spring — Divine Ugochukwu from Michigan State, Abdi Bashir from Kansas State, Mo Dioubate from Kentucky, and Austin Nunez from UTSA. That’s a four man class that has LSU currently ranked No. 40 in 247 Sports’ team portal rankings. At a time when most major conference programs are putting the finishing touches on their 2026-27 rosters, Wade and the Tigers are very much in scramble mode.

Earlier this month, Wade beat out Kentucky to sign 23-year-old Brazilian big man Marcio Santos of the Israeli league. In addition to signing Madar and Luis, there are reports that Wade has also been pursuing 22-year-old Saliou Niang, who is currently competing in the Italian Wing. With so few uncommitted impactful players in the portal remaining, it’s apparent at this time that Wade’s last ditch effort to produce a roster that can be competitive in the ultra-difficult SEC revolves around signing as many pros as possible and hoping at least a handful of them will be deemed eligible by the NCAA.

Given the precedent set by the Bediako situation, it seems extremely unlikely that the NCAA will clear Luis for a return to college basketball in 2026-27. Madar has more of a shot (somehow), but it still seems more likely than not that the NCAA will do everything in its power to keep the seasoned EuroLeague vet from spending the first four months of his 26th year playing college basketball.

For any other power conference college basketball coach, the actions taken by Wade this week would reek of desperation and a lack of any sort of respect for the last vestiges of the sanctity of college hoops. But for a man who has spent the better part of his kicking at lines like a leadoff batter on a dirt field and still managed to fall upwards more times than not, it’s almost hard to blame him for continuing to exist in the shadowy world he knows better than anyone.

#world #Wade #LSU #mens #basketball

The proverbial lines that regulate college sports have never been more difficult to identify than…

way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.

Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole.

#Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites"> Florida figure out college basketball’s ‘secret sauce,’ and it makes them national championship favorites Of the 10-15 programs that had the greatest impact on men’s college basketball over the past couple of decades, perhaps none entered the post-COVID world with a more uncertain long-term future than Florida.From 2014 through 2o24, Florida participated in a total of just five NCAA Tournaments. It was never seeded better than fourth, and it made the tournament’s second weekend just one time.There was a general belief that UF was a program that had experienced a few nice moments over the years, caught lightning in a bottle for a brief stretch in the mid-2000s, and now was poised to live out the remainder of its basketball existence as a notable also-ran.Such an existence would not have been atypical for Florida.On a football-crazy campus, Gator basketball was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to trying to capture the complete attention of its fan base before late December. Before Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville in 1996, the sport wasn’t even a post-holiday hobby.Despite playing in a power conference since the inception of the SEC in 1932, Florida had played in just five NCAA Tournaments in its history. It had advanced past the opening weekend just twice before Donovan was hired.The hiring of Donovan, who was just 31-years-old and (despite his slicked back hair) looked like he could have passed for 21, didn’t make much of an impact in the college basketball world initially. Donovan was a name, sure, but that was more from his playing days at Providence and his tight-knit relationship with his college coach, Rick Pitino. After spending five seasons as an assistant at Kentucky under Pitino, Donovan was hired as the head coach at Marshall where he went 35-20 over two seasons and never flirted with an NCAA Tournament appearance.Despite the lack of anything resembling an initial splash, the hiring of Donovan ushered in an era of success in Gainesville that no one saw coming.Under the direction of “Billy the Kid,” Florida made 14 trips to the Big Dance, won six SEC championships, advanced to the Final Four four times, and until 12 months ago, was the most recent program to win back-to-back national championships (2006-07).As it tends to do, all that success came hand-in-hand with rumors of bigger and better things for the man responsible. Openings at programs like Kentucky and UCLA and a brief commitment by Donovan to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic forced Florida fans to come face-to-face with the question of what their national powerhouse of a basketball program would look like without the man receiving the lion’s share of the credit for its rapid ascension.They got to face that world head on when Donovan was finally lured away by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. The departure came after a woeful 16-17 campaign, Donovan’s first losing season as a head coach since his second year in Gainesville.Florida handed the keys to its car to Mike White. Like Donovan before him, White had been a head coach at just one stop prior to UF (Louisiana Tech), and had never coached a game in the NCAA Tournament. That was just about where the similarities ended.The program didn’t fall off a cliff in the years immediately following Donovan’s departure, but it didn’t soar either. White took Florida to the NCAA Tournament in four straight years from 2017-2021, winning at least one game in the Big Dance each time. But there was just one trip past the second round, the team was never a serious contender for an SEC championship, and the Gators were just 10-15 in the month of March between 2017 and 2022. That’s when White pulled a “you can’t fire me, I quit” and bolted for Georgia.Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin quickly turned his attention to Todd Golden, a head coach with a familiar profile.Golden was 36, looked significantly younger, and had a forward-thinking approach to the game at basketball. At San Francisco, Golden had preached “Nerd Ball,” a term coined by previous USF head coach Kyle Smith, whom Golden worked under for three seasons. Emphasizing analytics and internal “hustle stats” specific to the program, Golden won 57 games in three seasons with the Dons, leading them to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in 2022.Questions from Gator fans about whether or not the approach could work at the power conference level were not initially met with a comforting answer. Florida went 16-17 in year one, losing in the first round of the NIT. They made the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed a year later, losing to Colorado in the first round.The 2024-25 season was supposed to be another small step forward for Golden and company. The Gators were No. 21 in the preseason AP top 25 poll, and picked to finish sixth in the SEC.In an era of unprecedented roster turnover, Golden banked on roster retention being the key to a season of overachievement. He had been able to convince the five-player nucleus of his 2023-24 team, including All-American Walter Clayton Jr., to return to Gainesville for at least one more season.“For us going from years two to three, one of the advantages that we thought we had going into the off-season was that we had some good young guys in our program,” Golden said at SEC Media Day before the season. “But it all starts with the retention, and it all starts with that continuity, and any team that’s able to build continuity within their program I think is going to be a better chance of being successful.”Golden added that if his team could advance in the NCAA Tournament and finish the season ranked higher than its preseason ranking of 21, it would be a nice way to show the fans that the program is back on the right track. They did far more than that, winning a school-record 36 games, rolling to the national championship, and making Golden the youngest head coach since the legendary Jim Valvano to cut down the nets.With the historic win over Houston in the title game, “football school” Florida became one of just 10 men’s college basketball programs to win three or more national championships, and joined UConn as the only two programs in the sport to win more than two titles over the last 20 years.But could the lightning be kept in the bottle a bit longer this time?Golden lost the three leading scorers from his national title team to graduation, but was able to convince all three members of his stellar frontcourt to return to Gainesville for another year. The additions of transfer guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) struggled to gel early in the season but found their stride during conference play. The Gators won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season and, ultimately, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. The dream of back-to-back titles for the second time in two decades came crashing to a halt with a stunning 1-point loss to Iowa in the second round.Any concern that the window on Florida’s second run of elite success might be closing got shut down almost immediately after the team’s tournament exit.Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Thomas Huagh — widely considered to be the best frontcourt trio in the country — all announced that they would be spurning the NBA and the transfer portal in favor of returning to Florida for one more shot at a second title. Fland, who was stellar for the Gators down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, also announced that he was returning, citing “unfinished business.” Golden is also bringing back top reserve guard Urban Klavzar, and though he needs a waiver to play, is also potentially getting back guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the 2025 championship team who spent last season at Kentucky.This unprecedented level of roster retention in the transfer portal/NIL era has made the Gators nearly everyone’s “way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole. #Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites
Sports news

way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.

Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole.

#Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites">Florida figure out college basketball’s ‘secret sauce,’ and it makes them national championship favorites

Of the 10-15 programs that had the greatest impact on men’s college basketball over the past couple of decades, perhaps none entered the post-COVID world with a more uncertain long-term future than Florida.

From 2014 through 2o24, Florida participated in a total of just five NCAA Tournaments. It was never seeded better than fourth, and it made the tournament’s second weekend just one time.

There was a general belief that UF was a program that had experienced a few nice moments over the years, caught lightning in a bottle for a brief stretch in the mid-2000s, and now was poised to live out the remainder of its basketball existence as a notable also-ran.

Such an existence would not have been atypical for Florida.

On a football-crazy campus, Gator basketball was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to trying to capture the complete attention of its fan base before late December. Before Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville in 1996, the sport wasn’t even a post-holiday hobby.

Despite playing in a power conference since the inception of the SEC in 1932, Florida had played in just five NCAA Tournaments in its history. It had advanced past the opening weekend just twice before Donovan was hired.

The hiring of Donovan, who was just 31-years-old and (despite his slicked back hair) looked like he could have passed for 21, didn’t make much of an impact in the college basketball world initially. Donovan was a name, sure, but that was more from his playing days at Providence and his tight-knit relationship with his college coach, Rick Pitino. After spending five seasons as an assistant at Kentucky under Pitino, Donovan was hired as the head coach at Marshall where he went 35-20 over two seasons and never flirted with an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Despite the lack of anything resembling an initial splash, the hiring of Donovan ushered in an era of success in Gainesville that no one saw coming.

Under the direction of “Billy the Kid,” Florida made 14 trips to the Big Dance, won six SEC championships, advanced to the Final Four four times, and until 12 months ago, was the most recent program to win back-to-back national championships (2006-07).

As it tends to do, all that success came hand-in-hand with rumors of bigger and better things for the man responsible. Openings at programs like Kentucky and UCLA and a brief commitment by Donovan to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic forced Florida fans to come face-to-face with the question of what their national powerhouse of a basketball program would look like without the man receiving the lion’s share of the credit for its rapid ascension.

They got to face that world head on when Donovan was finally lured away by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. The departure came after a woeful 16-17 campaign, Donovan’s first losing season as a head coach since his second year in Gainesville.

Florida handed the keys to its car to Mike White. Like Donovan before him, White had been a head coach at just one stop prior to UF (Louisiana Tech), and had never coached a game in the NCAA Tournament. That was just about where the similarities ended.

The program didn’t fall off a cliff in the years immediately following Donovan’s departure, but it didn’t soar either. White took Florida to the NCAA Tournament in four straight years from 2017-2021, winning at least one game in the Big Dance each time. But there was just one trip past the second round, the team was never a serious contender for an SEC championship, and the Gators were just 10-15 in the month of March between 2017 and 2022. That’s when White pulled a “you can’t fire me, I quit” and bolted for Georgia.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin quickly turned his attention to Todd Golden, a head coach with a familiar profile.

Golden was 36, looked significantly younger, and had a forward-thinking approach to the game at basketball. At San Francisco, Golden had preached “Nerd Ball,” a term coined by previous USF head coach Kyle Smith, whom Golden worked under for three seasons. Emphasizing analytics and internal “hustle stats” specific to the program, Golden won 57 games in three seasons with the Dons, leading them to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in 2022.

Questions from Gator fans about whether or not the approach could work at the power conference level were not initially met with a comforting answer. Florida went 16-17 in year one, losing in the first round of the NIT. They made the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed a year later, losing to Colorado in the first round.

The 2024-25 season was supposed to be another small step forward for Golden and company. The Gators were No. 21 in the preseason AP top 25 poll, and picked to finish sixth in the SEC.

In an era of unprecedented roster turnover, Golden banked on roster retention being the key to a season of overachievement. He had been able to convince the five-player nucleus of his 2023-24 team, including All-American Walter Clayton Jr., to return to Gainesville for at least one more season.

“For us going from years two to three, one of the advantages that we thought we had going into the off-season was that we had some good young guys in our program,” Golden said at SEC Media Day before the season. “But it all starts with the retention, and it all starts with that continuity, and any team that’s able to build continuity within their program I think is going to be a better chance of being successful.”

Golden added that if his team could advance in the NCAA Tournament and finish the season ranked higher than its preseason ranking of 21, it would be a nice way to show the fans that the program is back on the right track. They did far more than that, winning a school-record 36 games, rolling to the national championship, and making Golden the youngest head coach since the legendary Jim Valvano to cut down the nets.

With the historic win over Houston in the title game, “football school” Florida became one of just 10 men’s college basketball programs to win three or more national championships, and joined UConn as the only two programs in the sport to win more than two titles over the last 20 years.

But could the lightning be kept in the bottle a bit longer this time?

Golden lost the three leading scorers from his national title team to graduation, but was able to convince all three members of his stellar frontcourt to return to Gainesville for another year. The additions of transfer guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) struggled to gel early in the season but found their stride during conference play. The Gators won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season and, ultimately, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. The dream of back-to-back titles for the second time in two decades came crashing to a halt with a stunning 1-point loss to Iowa in the second round.

Any concern that the window on Florida’s second run of elite success might be closing got shut down almost immediately after the team’s tournament exit.

Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Thomas Huagh — widely considered to be the best frontcourt trio in the country — all announced that they would be spurning the NBA and the transfer portal in favor of returning to Florida for one more shot at a second title. Fland, who was stellar for the Gators down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, also announced that he was returning, citing “unfinished business.” Golden is also bringing back top reserve guard Urban Klavzar, and though he needs a waiver to play, is also potentially getting back guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the 2025 championship team who spent last season at Kentucky.

This unprecedented level of roster retention in the transfer portal/NIL era has made the Gators nearly everyone’s “way too early” No. 1 team for the 2026-27 season.

Golden isn’t the only head coach to talk about the importance of roster retention in this brave, new world of college hoops, but he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” better than anyone in the country has over the past three years. The result is Florida basketball potentially being positioned for its best run of sustained success ever, one that could push it even further up the all-time college basketball totem pole.

#Florida #figure #college #basketballs #secret #sauce #national #championship #favorites

Of the 10-15 programs that had the greatest impact on men’s college basketball over the…

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.

The transfer portal frenzy has mostly settled by now. The only impact players available are still testing the NBA Draft process. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for what the rosters look like heading into next season, and there’s already a clear national hierarchy forming. Read our early top-25 rankings for next season.

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.The transfer portal frenzy has mostly settled by now. The only impact players available are still testing the NBA Draft process. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for what the rosters look like heading into next season, and there’s already a clear national hierarchy forming. Read our early top-25 rankings for next season.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
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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.

The transfer portal frenzy has mostly settled by now. The only impact players available are still testing the NBA Draft process. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for what the rosters look like heading into next season, and there’s already a clear national hierarchy forming. Read our early top-25 rankings for next season.

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.

The transfer portal frenzy has mostly settled by now. The only impact players available are still testing the NBA Draft process. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for what the rosters look like heading into next season, and there’s already a clear national hierarchy forming. Read our early top-25 rankings for next season.

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

The reality of modern college basketball is that every player is a free agent at…

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
Sports news

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.

Kansas badly needed Stokes in the fold after losing Peterson to the 2026 NBA Draft, star center Flory Bidunga to Louisville in the transfer portal, and Bryson Tiller to Missouri in the transfer portal. On the flip side, this is another devastating blow for Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who continues to have a nightmarish offseason.

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.

Stokes’ decision between Kansas and Kentucky pitted an adidas school vs. a Nike school. Stokes played on the Nike EYBL circuit, and reportedly already has a Nike contract. Stokes left California’s Notre Dame High School at the start of the basketball season to transfer to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School following reports of disciplinary issues. Stokes was reportedly in two physical altercations with students before leaving Sherman Oaks for Washington state.

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.Kansas badly needed Stokes in the fold after losing Peterson to the 2026 NBA Draft, star center Flory Bidunga to Louisville in the transfer portal, and Bryson Tiller to Missouri in the transfer portal. On the flip side, this is another devastating blow for Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who continues to have a nightmarish offseason.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.Stokes’ decision between Kansas and Kentucky pitted an adidas school vs. a Nike school. Stokes played on the Nike EYBL circuit, and reportedly already has a Nike contract. Stokes left California’s Notre Dame High School at the start of the basketball season to transfer to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School following reports of disciplinary issues. Stokes was reportedly in two physical altercations with students before leaving Sherman Oaks for Washington state.Why Tyran Stokes should be an All-American and top NBA Draft pickThe 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
Sports news

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.

Kansas badly needed Stokes in the fold after losing Peterson to the 2026 NBA Draft, star center Flory Bidunga to Louisville in the transfer portal, and Bryson Tiller to Missouri in the transfer portal. On the flip side, this is another devastating blow for Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who continues to have a nightmarish offseason.

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.

Stokes’ decision between Kansas and Kentucky pitted an adidas school vs. a Nike school. Stokes played on the Nike EYBL circuit, and reportedly already has a Nike contract. Stokes left California’s Notre Dame High School at the start of the basketball season to transfer to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School following reports of disciplinary issues. Stokes was reportedly in two physical altercations with students before leaving Sherman Oaks for Washington state.

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.

Kansas badly needed Stokes in the fold after losing Peterson to the 2026 NBA Draft, star center Flory Bidunga to Louisville in the transfer portal, and Bryson Tiller to Missouri in the transfer portal. On the flip side, this is another devastating blow for Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who continues to have a nightmarish offseason.

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.

Stokes’ decision between Kansas and Kentucky pitted an adidas school vs. a Nike school. Stokes played on the Nike EYBL circuit, and reportedly already has a Nike contract. Stokes left California’s Notre Dame High School at the start of the basketball season to transfer to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School following reports of disciplinary issues. Stokes was reportedly in two physical altercations with students before leaving Sherman Oaks for Washington state.

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 has been ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2026…

Sports news

There is still a ton of moving and shaking to take place over the weeks…

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

1Washington WizardsAJ DybantsaWingBYUFreshman
2Indiana PacersDarryn PetersonGuardKansasFreshman
3Brooklyn NetsCameron BoozerForwardDukeFreshman
4Utah JazzCaleb WilsonForwardNorth CarolinaFreshman
5Sacramento KingsDarius AcuffGuardArkansasFreshman
6Memphis GrizzliesKeaton WaglerGuardIllinoisFreshman
7Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)Kingston FlemingsGuardHoustonFreshman
8Dallas MavericksMikel Brown Jr.GuardLouisvilleFreshman
9Chicago BullsAday MaraCenterMichiganJunior
10Milwaukee BucksBrayden BurriesGuardArizonaFreshman
11Golden State WarriorsYaxel LendeborgForwardMichiganSenior
12Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)Nate AmentWingTennesseeFreshman
13Miami HeatKarim LopezForwardNZ BreakersBorn 2007
14Charlotte HornetsJayden QuaintanceCenter/ForwardKentuckySophomore
15Chicago BullsMorez JohnsonCenter/ForwardMichiganSophomore
16Memphis GrizzliesDailyn SwainWingTexasJunior
17Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ersHannes SteinbachForward/CenterWashingtonFreshman
18Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)Cameron CarrWingBaylorJunior
19Toronto RaptorsLabaron PhilonGuardAlabamaSophomore
20San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)Chris CenacCenterHoustonFreshman
21Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)Bennett StirtzGuardIowaSenior
22Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)Allen GravesForwardSanta ClaraFreshman
23Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)Joshua JeffersonForwardIowa StateSenior
24New York KnicksIsaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore
25Los Angeles LakersHenri VeesaarCenterNorth CarolinaJunior
26Denver NuggetsKoa PeatForwardArizonaFreshman
27Boston CelticsTyler TannerGuardVanderbiltSophomore
28Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)Meleek ThomasGuardArkansasFreshman
29Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)Christian AndersonGuardTexas TechSophomore
30Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)Isaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore

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

Caleb Wilson didn’t play in the 2026 NCAA tournament for North Carolina after suffering a broken bone in his left hand in February and then a broken thumb in his right hand in March. Those injuries shouldn’t and reportedly haven’t dulled NBA interest. In the last few weeks, there have been reports that some teams value Wilson more than Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and that he could even be the second player taken on draft night.

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?

I thought Braylon Mullins and Patrick Ngongba were lottery-caliber talents. Instead, both are going back to UConn and Duke respectively. Thomas Haugh was considered a lottery pick on ESPN’s big board, but he’s going back to Florida for arguably the biggest NIL bag in college basketball history. Flory Bidunga’s decision to transfer to Louisville rather than enter the draft (though he is on the early entry list) is another hit to the depth of the class. It’s possible players like Tyler Tanner, Allen Graves, Juke Harris, Alijah Arenas, and Ebuka Okorie — who could all be drafted in the first round — eventually decide returning to school is their best decision. I named Graves as the best available player in the transfer portal, and there are some whispers that he could end up at Duke if he doesn’t enter the draft.

Here’s full early entry list, via Jeremy Woo:

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.

  • I also spent a lot of time chatting with Aday Mara throughout Michigan’s March Madness run. Read my feature on how Mara developed into a lottery pick after two years on the bench at UCLA.
  • 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.PickTeamPlayerPositionSchoolAge1Washington WizardsAJ DybantsaWingBYUFreshman2Indiana PacersDarryn PetersonGuardKansasFreshman3Brooklyn NetsCameron BoozerForwardDukeFreshman4Utah JazzCaleb WilsonForwardNorth CarolinaFreshman5Sacramento KingsDarius AcuffGuardArkansasFreshman6Memphis GrizzliesKeaton WaglerGuardIllinoisFreshman7Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)Kingston FlemingsGuardHoustonFreshman8Dallas MavericksMikel Brown Jr.GuardLouisvilleFreshman9Chicago BullsAday MaraCenterMichiganJunior10Milwaukee BucksBrayden BurriesGuardArizonaFreshman11Golden State WarriorsYaxel LendeborgForwardMichiganSenior12Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)Nate AmentWingTennesseeFreshman13Miami HeatKarim LopezForwardNZ BreakersBorn 200714Charlotte HornetsJayden QuaintanceCenter/ForwardKentuckySophomore15Chicago BullsMorez JohnsonCenter/ForwardMichiganSophomore16Memphis GrizzliesDailyn SwainWingTexasJunior17Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ersHannes SteinbachForward/CenterWashingtonFreshman18Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)Cameron CarrWingBaylorJunior19Toronto RaptorsLabaron PhilonGuardAlabamaSophomore20San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)Chris CenacCenterHoustonFreshman21Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)Bennett StirtzGuardIowaSenior22Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)Allen GravesForwardSanta ClaraFreshman23Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)Joshua JeffersonForwardIowa StateSenior24New York KnicksIsaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore25Los Angeles LakersHenri VeesaarCenterNorth CarolinaJunior26Denver NuggetsKoa PeatForwardArizonaFreshman27Boston CelticsTyler TannerGuardVanderbiltSophomore28Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)Meleek ThomasGuardArkansasFreshman29Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)Christian AndersonGuardTexas TechSophomore30Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)Isaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomoreLet’s dive into one of the biggest themes to watch on lottery night.NBA Draft 2026 lottery odds to land a top-4 pickIt 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 higherCaleb Wilson didn’t play in the 2026 NCAA tournament for North Carolina after suffering a broken bone in his left hand in February and then a broken thumb in his right hand in March. Those injuries shouldn’t and reportedly haven’t dulled NBA interest. In the last few weeks, there have been reports that some teams value Wilson more than Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and that he could even be the second player taken on draft night.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?I thought Braylon Mullins and Patrick Ngongba were lottery-caliber talents. Instead, both are going back to UConn and Duke respectively. Thomas Haugh was considered a lottery pick on ESPN’s big board, but he’s going back to Florida for arguably the biggest NIL bag in college basketball history. Flory Bidunga’s decision to transfer to Louisville rather than enter the draft (though he is on the early entry list) is another hit to the depth of the class. It’s possible players like Tyler Tanner, Allen Graves, Juke Harris, Alijah Arenas, and Ebuka Okorie — who could all be drafted in the first round — eventually decide returning to school is their best decision. I named Graves as the best available player in the transfer portal, and there are some whispers that he could end up at Duke if he doesn’t enter the draft.Here’s full early entry list, via Jeremy Woo: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 lotteryThe 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.I spent March Madness following Michigan and reporting out a feature on how Yaxel Lendeborg grew up into a potential lottery pick. He told me about the NBA’s feedback at the combine last year, how he views his pro translation, and what this year at Michigan meant to him. I think you’ll like what he had to say:I also spent a lot of time chatting with Aday Mara throughout Michigan’s March Madness run. Read my feature on how Mara developed into a lottery pick after two years on the bench at UCLA.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 streamingHere’s what you need to know about this year’s draft lottery drawing: #NBA #mock #draft #Update #college #basketball #entry #deadline #final #lottery #odds
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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

1Washington WizardsAJ DybantsaWingBYUFreshman
2Indiana PacersDarryn PetersonGuardKansasFreshman
3Brooklyn NetsCameron BoozerForwardDukeFreshman
4Utah JazzCaleb WilsonForwardNorth CarolinaFreshman
5Sacramento KingsDarius AcuffGuardArkansasFreshman
6Memphis GrizzliesKeaton WaglerGuardIllinoisFreshman
7Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)Kingston FlemingsGuardHoustonFreshman
8Dallas MavericksMikel Brown Jr.GuardLouisvilleFreshman
9Chicago BullsAday MaraCenterMichiganJunior
10Milwaukee BucksBrayden BurriesGuardArizonaFreshman
11Golden State WarriorsYaxel LendeborgForwardMichiganSenior
12Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)Nate AmentWingTennesseeFreshman
13Miami HeatKarim LopezForwardNZ BreakersBorn 2007
14Charlotte HornetsJayden QuaintanceCenter/ForwardKentuckySophomore
15Chicago BullsMorez JohnsonCenter/ForwardMichiganSophomore
16Memphis GrizzliesDailyn SwainWingTexasJunior
17Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ersHannes SteinbachForward/CenterWashingtonFreshman
18Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)Cameron CarrWingBaylorJunior
19Toronto RaptorsLabaron PhilonGuardAlabamaSophomore
20San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)Chris CenacCenterHoustonFreshman
21Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)Bennett StirtzGuardIowaSenior
22Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)Allen GravesForwardSanta ClaraFreshman
23Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)Joshua JeffersonForwardIowa StateSenior
24New York KnicksIsaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore
25Los Angeles LakersHenri VeesaarCenterNorth CarolinaJunior
26Denver NuggetsKoa PeatForwardArizonaFreshman
27Boston CelticsTyler TannerGuardVanderbiltSophomore
28Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)Meleek ThomasGuardArkansasFreshman
29Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)Christian AndersonGuardTexas TechSophomore
30Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)Isaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore

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

Caleb Wilson didn’t play in the 2026 NCAA tournament for North Carolina after suffering a broken bone in his left hand in February and then a broken thumb in his right hand in March. Those injuries shouldn’t and reportedly haven’t dulled NBA interest. In the last few weeks, there have been reports that some teams value Wilson more than Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and that he could even be the second player taken on draft night.

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?

I thought Braylon Mullins and Patrick Ngongba were lottery-caliber talents. Instead, both are going back to UConn and Duke respectively. Thomas Haugh was considered a lottery pick on ESPN’s big board, but he’s going back to Florida for arguably the biggest NIL bag in college basketball history. Flory Bidunga’s decision to transfer to Louisville rather than enter the draft (though he is on the early entry list) is another hit to the depth of the class. It’s possible players like Tyler Tanner, Allen Graves, Juke Harris, Alijah Arenas, and Ebuka Okorie — who could all be drafted in the first round — eventually decide returning to school is their best decision. I named Graves as the best available player in the transfer portal, and there are some whispers that he could end up at Duke if he doesn’t enter the draft.

Here’s full early entry list, via Jeremy Woo:

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.

  • I also spent a lot of time chatting with Aday Mara throughout Michigan’s March Madness run. Read my feature on how Mara developed into a lottery pick after two years on the bench at UCLA.
  • 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

1Washington WizardsAJ DybantsaWingBYUFreshman
2Indiana PacersDarryn PetersonGuardKansasFreshman
3Brooklyn NetsCameron BoozerForwardDukeFreshman
4Utah JazzCaleb WilsonForwardNorth CarolinaFreshman
5Sacramento KingsDarius AcuffGuardArkansasFreshman
6Memphis GrizzliesKeaton WaglerGuardIllinoisFreshman
7Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)Kingston FlemingsGuardHoustonFreshman
8Dallas MavericksMikel Brown Jr.GuardLouisvilleFreshman
9Chicago BullsAday MaraCenterMichiganJunior
10Milwaukee BucksBrayden BurriesGuardArizonaFreshman
11Golden State WarriorsYaxel LendeborgForwardMichiganSenior
12Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)Nate AmentWingTennesseeFreshman
13Miami HeatKarim LopezForwardNZ BreakersBorn 2007
14Charlotte HornetsJayden QuaintanceCenter/ForwardKentuckySophomore
15Chicago BullsMorez JohnsonCenter/ForwardMichiganSophomore
16Memphis GrizzliesDailyn SwainWingTexasJunior
17Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ersHannes SteinbachForward/CenterWashingtonFreshman
18Charlotte Hornets (via Magic)Cameron CarrWingBaylorJunior
19Toronto RaptorsLabaron PhilonGuardAlabamaSophomore
20San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)Chris CenacCenterHoustonFreshman
21Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)Bennett StirtzGuardIowaSenior
22Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets)Allen GravesForwardSanta ClaraFreshman
23Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)Joshua JeffersonForwardIowa StateSenior
24New York KnicksIsaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore
25Los Angeles LakersHenri VeesaarCenterNorth CarolinaJunior
26Denver NuggetsKoa PeatForwardArizonaFreshman
27Boston CelticsTyler TannerGuardVanderbiltSophomore
28Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)Meleek ThomasGuardArkansasFreshman
29Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)Christian AndersonGuardTexas TechSophomore
30Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)Isaiah EvansGuardDukeSophomore

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

Caleb Wilson didn’t play in the 2026 NCAA tournament for North Carolina after suffering a broken bone in his left hand in February and then a broken thumb in his right hand in March. Those injuries shouldn’t and reportedly haven’t dulled NBA interest. In the last few weeks, there have been reports that some teams value Wilson more than Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and that he could even be the second player taken on draft night.

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?

I thought Braylon Mullins and Patrick Ngongba were lottery-caliber talents. Instead, both are going back to UConn and Duke respectively. Thomas Haugh was considered a lottery pick on ESPN’s big board, but he’s going back to Florida for arguably the biggest NIL bag in college basketball history. Flory Bidunga’s decision to transfer to Louisville rather than enter the draft (though he is on the early entry list) is another hit to the depth of the class. It’s possible players like Tyler Tanner, Allen Graves, Juke Harris, Alijah Arenas, and Ebuka Okorie — who could all be drafted in the first round — eventually decide returning to school is their best decision. I named Graves as the best available player in the transfer portal, and there are some whispers that he could end up at Duke if he doesn’t enter the draft.

Here’s full early entry list, via Jeremy Woo:

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.

  • I also spent a lot of time chatting with Aday Mara throughout Michigan’s March Madness run. Read my feature on how Mara developed into a lottery pick after two years on the bench at UCLA.
  • 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

The 2026 NBA Draft class has been hyped for years. The big pay off is…

ESPN ranked the 6’9 junior wing at No. 13 overall on its big board, which is historically the best gauge of how NBA executives and scouts are viewing a player in the draft process. SB Nation had Haugh at No. 21 overall in its post-March Madness mock draft, and that might have been his floor. Players this highly regarded are almost always turning pro. NIL has now changed that.

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.

It’s not unprecedented for a projected lottery pick to return to school even before the NIL era. I remember writing about Miles Bridges and Robert Williams spurning the 2017 NBA Draft to return to Michigan State and Texas A&M respectively. Joakim Noah famously returned to Florida ahead of the 2006 NBA Draft, where he could have been the No. 1 overall pick. We’ve seen in football that NIL dollars are now big enough to keep even potential top-5 prospects in school for another year. Still, Haugh’s decision is a huge surprise. We haven’t had a player this highly touted bypass the NBA for a return to college in almost a decade.

It makes sense that Haugh had to get a huge NIL bag to come back to Florida, and reporter Sam Vecenie of The Athletic confirmed that’s the case:

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

NIL payments for college athletes aren’t public, but if you follow these things closely enough the information is usually out there somewhere. AJ Dybantsa’s NIL payment from BYU was reported to be around $7 million. Caitlin Clark reportedly made more than $3 million as a senior at Iowa. No one knows what Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer made at Duke, but it was likely a lot of money.

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.

Haugh is set to turn 23 years old on July 7. He would have been an old NBA rookie even if he entered the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be even older in 2027. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg told SB Nation that he returned to college a year ago in part because NBA scouts told him his advanced age didn’t matter. Lendeborg was considered more of a borderline first round pick a year ago, and he definitely improved his stock by winning the national championship with the Wolverines even if he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie. I had Lendeborg in the top-10 of my midseason board where Haugh was unranked. Some older prospects can still be worth a lottery pick, and Haugh’s situation will be fascinating in 2027.

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 Thomas Haugh was projected as a possible lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. ESPN ranked the 6’9 junior wing at No. 13 overall on its big board, which is historically the best gauge of how NBA executives and scouts are viewing a player in the draft process. SB Nation had Haugh at No. 21 overall in its post-March Madness mock draft, and that might have been his floor. Players this highly regarded are almost always turning pro. NIL has now changed that.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.It’s not unprecedented for a projected lottery pick to return to school even before the NIL era. I remember writing about Miles Bridges and Robert Williams spurning the 2017 NBA Draft to return to Michigan State and Texas A&M respectively. Joakim Noah famously returned to Florida ahead of the 2006 NBA Draft, where he could have been the No. 1 overall pick. We’ve seen in football that NIL dollars are now big enough to keep even potential top-5 prospects in school for another year. Still, Haugh’s decision is a huge surprise. We haven’t had a player this highly touted bypass the NBA for a return to college in almost a decade.It makes sense that Haugh had to get a huge NIL bag to come back to Florida, and reporter Sam Vecenie of The Athletic confirmed that’s the case: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 draftNIL payments for college athletes aren’t public, but if you follow these things closely enough the information is usually out there somewhere. AJ Dybantsa’s NIL payment from BYU was reported to be around million. Caitlin Clark reportedly made more than million as a senior at Iowa. No one knows what Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer made at Duke, but it was likely a lot of money.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 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.Haugh is set to turn 23 years old on July 7. He would have been an old NBA rookie even if he entered the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be even older in 2027. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg told SB Nation that he returned to college a year ago in part because NBA scouts told him his advanced age didn’t matter. Lendeborg was considered more of a borderline first round pick a year ago, and he definitely improved his stock by winning the national championship with the Wolverines even if he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie. I had Lendeborg in the top-10 of my midseason board where Haugh was unranked. Some older prospects can still be worth a lottery pick, and Haugh’s situation will be fascinating in 2027.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 contractThe 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 + 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
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ESPN ranked the 6’9 junior wing at No. 13 overall on its big board, which is historically the best gauge of how NBA executives and scouts are viewing a player in the draft process. SB Nation had Haugh at No. 21 overall in its post-March Madness mock draft, and that might have been his floor. Players this highly regarded are almost always turning pro. NIL has now changed that.

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.

It’s not unprecedented for a projected lottery pick to return to school even before the NIL era. I remember writing about Miles Bridges and Robert Williams spurning the 2017 NBA Draft to return to Michigan State and Texas A&M respectively. Joakim Noah famously returned to Florida ahead of the 2006 NBA Draft, where he could have been the No. 1 overall pick. We’ve seen in football that NIL dollars are now big enough to keep even potential top-5 prospects in school for another year. Still, Haugh’s decision is a huge surprise. We haven’t had a player this highly touted bypass the NBA for a return to college in almost a decade.

It makes sense that Haugh had to get a huge NIL bag to come back to Florida, and reporter Sam Vecenie of The Athletic confirmed that’s the case:

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

NIL payments for college athletes aren’t public, but if you follow these things closely enough the information is usually out there somewhere. AJ Dybantsa’s NIL payment from BYU was reported to be around $7 million. Caitlin Clark reportedly made more than $3 million as a senior at Iowa. No one knows what Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer made at Duke, but it was likely a lot of money.

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.

Haugh is set to turn 23 years old on July 7. He would have been an old NBA rookie even if he entered the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be even older in 2027. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg told SB Nation that he returned to college a year ago in part because NBA scouts told him his advanced age didn’t matter. Lendeborg was considered more of a borderline first round pick a year ago, and he definitely improved his stock by winning the national championship with the Wolverines even if he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie. I had Lendeborg in the top-10 of my midseason board where Haugh was unranked. Some older prospects can still be worth a lottery pick, and Haugh’s situation will be fascinating in 2027.

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

Thomas Haugh was projected as a possible lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. ESPN ranked the 6’9 junior wing at No. 13 overall on its big board, which is historically the best gauge of how NBA executives and scouts are viewing a player in the draft process. SB Nation had Haugh at No. 21 overall in its post-March Madness mock draft, and that might have been his floor. Players this highly regarded are almost always turning pro. NIL has now changed that.

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.

It’s not unprecedented for a projected lottery pick to return to school even before the NIL era. I remember writing about Miles Bridges and Robert Williams spurning the 2017 NBA Draft to return to Michigan State and Texas A&M respectively. Joakim Noah famously returned to Florida ahead of the 2006 NBA Draft, where he could have been the No. 1 overall pick. We’ve seen in football that NIL dollars are now big enough to keep even potential top-5 prospects in school for another year. Still, Haugh’s decision is a huge surprise. We haven’t had a player this highly touted bypass the NBA for a return to college in almost a decade.

It makes sense that Haugh had to get a huge NIL bag to come back to Florida, and reporter Sam Vecenie of The Athletic confirmed that’s the case:

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

NIL payments for college athletes aren’t public, but if you follow these things closely enough the information is usually out there somewhere. AJ Dybantsa’s NIL payment from BYU was reported to be around $7 million. Caitlin Clark reportedly made more than $3 million as a senior at Iowa. No one knows what Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer made at Duke, but it was likely a lot of money.

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.

Haugh is set to turn 23 years old on July 7. He would have been an old NBA rookie even if he entered the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be even older in 2027. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg told SB Nation that he returned to college a year ago in part because NBA scouts told him his advanced age didn’t matter. Lendeborg was considered more of a borderline first round pick a year ago, and he definitely improved his stock by winning the national championship with the Wolverines even if he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie. I had Lendeborg in the top-10 of my midseason board where Haugh was unranked. Some older prospects can still be worth a lottery pick, and Haugh’s situation will be fascinating in 2027.

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

Thomas Haugh was projected as a possible lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. ESPN…

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 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, million roster.Drop a game you’re not supposed to drop?Can’t happen, million roster.Fall short of the ultimate goal in March.Simply unacceptable, 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
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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.

#Kentuckys #transfer #portal #struggles #put #heat #Mark #Pope #deserves

Mark Pope’s first year as the head coach of the Kentucky men’s basketball program was…

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.

#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 seasonThese 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 WilkinsThe * 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
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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.

#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.

#Duke #lands #elite #transfer #portal #guard #John #Blackwell #roster #coming #season

The Duke Blue Devils probably won’t have a superstar freshman who doubles as the best…