NCAAB · 7 hours ago

Top 20 Players Returning to College Basketball for the 2026-27 Season

David Connelly

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20. Motiejus Krivas - Arizona
Motiejus Krivas is as smooth as seven-footers come in today's game. The Lithuanian can roll to the rim, play out of the post, knock down free throws, and rebound quite effectively. He has shown that he has soft hands down low, isn't afraid of contact, and can bang around with the best of them in the paint while finishing at the rim. It wasn't much, but he did step out and shoot four-for-13 from beyond the arc last season after not taking a three through his first two seasons at Arizona. If he can continue to work on his outside stroke, he could quickly play his way well into the first round of the NBA Draft.
1. Tyler Tanner - Vanderbilt
It was a meteoric sophomore leap for Tyler Tanner in his second season at Vanderbilt. Head coach Mark Byington clearly had enough trust in Tanner to give him a legitimate chance to run the backcourt last season, and he took that chance and ran with it throughout the entire season. His sharpshooting, playmaking, and surprising physicality, even at just six feet tall, make him an elite, all-around guard. He will be a preseason First-Team All-American and should be a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate.
2. Flory Bidunga - Louisville
Arguably the crown jewel of the incoming Louisville transfer class, Flory Bidunga displayed his efficiency and elite defensive ability that make him one of the best two-way players in the country. The Congolese product led the Big 12 in both field goal percentage and blocks per game, seamlessly transitioning into a starting role with the Jayhawks. Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey is going to fall in love with Bidunga's intensity on both ends of the floor, and he will become a staple of a Louisville team that has national championship aspirations.
3. Jeremy Fears Jr. - Michigan State
The best passer in college basketball is returning to East Lansing, joining a lineage of elite point guards that head coach Tom Izzo has taken under his wing over the years. Jeremy Fears Jr. saw his playmaking explode in 2025-26, leading the Big Ten with 9.4 assists per game for Sparty. While his vision is easily his best gift, Fears could become one of the best players in the entire country if he could become a bit more of a scoring threat in his senior season. The Spartans will go as far as he takes them.
4. Milan Momcilovic - Kentucky
When Milan Momcilovic dropped his name into the mix for the NBA Draft, it felt like a done deal that he was off to the pros. To almost everyone's surprise, Momcilovic withdrew in time and will join Mark Pope in Lexington as they hope to conduct a resurgence for Kentucky. He is perhaps the best shooter in the country entering next season after shooting a ridiculous 48.7 percent from beyond the arc and over 50 percent from the floor. Big Blue Nation will be hopeful that Momcilovic is prepared to become a top-scoring option for the Wildcats, a position he has never really been in throughout his collegiate career.
5. Thomas Haugh - Florida
Last season didn't go exactly to plan for Thomas Haugh and Florida, but he remained one of the top big men in the country en route to being named a Second-Team All-American as the team's leading scorer. He will stick around Gainesville for his final collegiate season, hoping to notch a second national championship in three seasons as a final send-off. Perhaps with one eye on the 2027 NBA Draft, don't be surprised if Haugh enters the upcoming season with an improved outside stroke to intrigue teams at the next level.
6. John Blackwell - Duke
John Blackwell waited his turn through three seasons at Wisconsin, and eventually became an elite alpha for the Badgers in 2025-26. He proved to be a bona fide scorer within the Big Ten, most notably pouring in 34 and 31 points on back-to-back nights at the Big Ten Tournament in wins over Washington and Illinois. If head coach Jon Scheyer can find the right way to fit him into their loaded rotation, Blackwell could be a dark horse pick to win ACC Player of the Year.
7. Silas Demary Jr. - UConn
Silas Demary Jr. gave head coach Dan Hurley exactly what he always wants at the point guard position for his teams over the years: A warrior. Demary played through a nasty ankle injury all the way until the final whistle, showing the grit and desire that the Huskies have hung their hat on over the past half-decade. A fully healthy Demary is good enough to win Big East Player of the Year in 2026-27, an all-around guard that can dish it to his talented teammates, while calling his number to get a bucket when necessary. UConn will rely heavily on Demary to get them back to the Final Four next season.
8. Andrej Stojakovic - Illinois
The third try was the charm for Andrej Stojakovic at the collegiate level, finding his true fit at Illinois after spending his first two seasons at Stanford and California. The move to the Midwest felt a bit random to the young man from California, but it made all the sense in the world as he shone under head coach Brad Underwood's elite offensive scheme. Stojakovic went from 42 to 50 percent from the floor, displaying shotmaking and shot selection that weren't always there at previous stops due to a lack of talent around him. The Fighting Illini are bringing back loads of talent, and Stojakovic will spearhead the charge out of the backcourt.
9. P.J. Haggerty - Texas A&M
It's quite remarkable that a player as good as P.J. Haggerty has played in just one NCAA Tournament game across four seasons at the collegiate level. The Texas native is already a 2,000-point scorer, and he has a real chance to get inside the top 20 of college basketball's all-time leading scorers. His ability to get to his spot, draw fouls, and maintain respectable shooting splits despite the crazy level of volume makes him one of the top scorers in the country. Time will tell if Haggerty can make a name for himself on the sport's biggest stage in March with Texas A&M, his fifth school in as many years.
10. Braden Huff - Gonzaga
Graham Ike exits stage left after a great collegiate career, and now it's Braden Huff's frontcourt in Spokane. The 6'10" forward finally found his way into the starting lineup as a junior last season, only for a knee injury to cut his season short and leave the Bulldogs shorthanded. He is expected to be fully healthy for the upcoming season, and he should be the focal point of the offense going forward. The addition of rising sophomore seven-footer Massamba Diop should also take a bit of the attention off Huff, making them one of the top frontcourt pairings in the country.
11. Alex Condon - Florida
Over the past two offseasons, Alex Condon has steadily improved and flirted with heading to the NBA. Instead, he has opted to return to play for the Gators, continuing to put them in national championship contention. He'll do the same for his final season, joining aforementioned teammate Thomas Haugh to create the nation's best frontcourt. The one aspect of his game that took a step back in 2025-26 was his shooting from beyond the arc. Condon went from a respectable 33 percent in his sophomore season to an abysmal 17 percent last year.
12. David Mirkovic - Illinois
David Mirkovic was quietly one of the most impressive freshmen in the sport last season. The 6'9" Montenegro product had a seamless transition to the collegiate level, showing his elite shooting and effective rebounding throughout the season. Despite plenty of intrigue from the NBA, Mirkovic will return to Illinois for the upcoming season alongside fellow starters Andrej Stojakovic and Tomislav Ivisic.
13. David Punch - Texas
It was clear that David Punch put in some serious work over the previous offseason after not only taking on a much bigger role at TCU last year, but still finding a way to improve his shooting percentage. The Texas native will remain in the state for his junior season after transferring to play for the Longhorns, where head coach Sean Miller continues to put together an elite roster via the transfer portal. Don't be surprised if Punch quickly becomes this team's leader and flirts with All-American status.
14. Pryce Sandfort - Nebraska
The only returning member of the All-Big Ten First Team from 2025-26, Pryce Sandfort has kept the Cornhuskers relevant for the upcoming year as a legitimate Big Ten Player of the Year candidate. He is a lethal shooter who saw his game blossom under Fred Hoiberg's offensive system, and he will be asked to provide even more at Nebraska in his senior year as the surrounding starting lineup of incoming transfers acclimates to life in Lincoln.
15. Elliot Cadeau - Michigan
It's hard to argue that anybody had a better postseason relative to their regular-season performances than Michigan's Elliot Cadeau. After having an up-and-down season with the Wolverines, Cadeau scored double figures in seven of Michigan's final nine games from the start of the Big Ten Tournament to the national championship game, while also dishing out at least ten assists in three of those contests. His playmaking and scoring bursts make him a dynamic point guard, while improving his scoring efficiency would be the next step in his development.
16. Tounde Yessoufou - St. John's
What an incredible late get for St. John's in the transfer portal to bolster their roster. After averaging 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds last season at Baylor, Tounde Yessoufou seemed pretty set on heading to the NBA after immediately declaring for the NBA Draft. Instead, a late change of heart led to a return to college basketball and an eventual move to join Rick Pitino and the Red Storm. He will be immediately impactful as a starter next season, providing the team with some much-needed talent on the wing.
17. Juke Harris - Tennessee
Juke Harris had a meteoric sophomore year explosion at Winston-Salem last year, going from a rotational piece off the bench to averaging over 21 points per game as the team's alpha. He has an incredibly versatile offensive bag, often displaying his aggression when getting downhill towards the rim as well as his quick release from the outside. He likely won't see the same volume at Tennessee next season, but he should still be a key contributor.
18. Patrick Ngongba II - Duke
After playing little throughout his freshman year in 2024-25, Patrick Ngongba remained a big question mark for Duke and its fanbase heading into last season. He quickly wiped away any questions as an efficient, reliable paint threat that quickly found his footing within the starting five for the Blue Devils. He has high-level athleticism and mobility for his size, perfectly encapsulating the modern-day big archetype. He should see his workload in the frontcourt increase following the departure of superstar freshman Cameron Boozer from the frontcourt.
19. Isaiah Johnson - Texas
Freshman stud Isaiah Johnson largely failed to become a household name in college basketball last season due to Colorado's shortcomings, finishing 11th in the Big 12 and never looking like a threat to make the NCAA Tournament. Johnson was the program's bright spot, leading the team in scoring on 49/38/82 shooting splits. That's an impressive feat from a freshman who was asked to produce so much right away. It should make him appropriately battle-tested within the league to thrive at Texas in 2026-27.
20. Motiejus Krivas - Arizona
Motiejus Krivas is as smooth as seven-footers come in today's game. The Lithuanian can roll to the rim, play out of the post, knock down free throws, and rebound quite effectively. He has shown that he has soft hands down low, isn't afraid of contact, and can bang around with the best of them in the paint while finishing at the rim. It wasn't much, but he did step out and shoot four-for-13 from beyond the arc last season after not taking a three through his first two seasons at Arizona. If he can continue to work on his outside stroke, he could quickly play his way well into the first round of the NBA Draft.
1. Tyler Tanner - Vanderbilt
It was a meteoric sophomore leap for Tyler Tanner in his second season at Vanderbilt. Head coach Mark Byington clearly had enough trust in Tanner to give him a legitimate chance to run the backcourt last season, and he took that chance and ran with it throughout the entire season. His sharpshooting, playmaking, and surprising physicality, even at just six feet tall, make him an elite, all-around guard. He will be a preseason First-Team All-American and should be a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate.

Top 20 Players Returning to College Basketball for the 2026-27 Season

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