The 2026-27 men’s college basketball season tips off in less than two months. Fifth-year eligibility cases have dominated headlines recently, but regardless of how those play out, the sport will be loaded with talent once again.
A few days ago, we highlighted 10 freshmen poised to make an immediate impact at the NCAA level. Here, we look at potential breakout stars in the sophomore class, several of whom could hear their names called in the 2027 NBA Draft.
Note: This list excludes players who were highly productive as freshmen, even if they still have room for growth (e.g., Tounde Yessoufou, Massamba Diop, Braylon Mullins and Amari Allen). None of the players featured below averaged more than 10 points per game in 2025-26.
1. Trey McKenney, 6-foot-4 guard, Michigan
The reigning national champs may have lost their “Big Three” — Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson — from last season, but backcourt standouts Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney are back. To have any chance of defending their throne, the Wolverines need McKenney to perform at an All-Big Ten level, especially with five-star recruit Brandon McCoy sidelined by a torn ACL.
As a freshman, McKenney was an efficient source of offense off the bench, averaging 9.9 points on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 39.1 percent from three. This season, he will transition from a secondary option to one of the focal points of opposing scouting reports. A former top-25 prospect and two-time Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year, McKenney has the talent to thrive in a starring role. Expect his shot volume, pick-and-roll rate and scoring average to increase dramatically.
2. Malachi Moreno, 7-foot center, Kentucky
After testing the NBA Draft waters in May, Moreno opted to withdraw his name and return to Lexington. The former McDonald’s All-American had a solid rookie campaign with the Wildcats, making 30 starts and averaging 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes.
The table is set for the 19-year-old to make a massive sophomore leap. With Jayden Quaintance, Mouhamed Dioubate and Brandon Garrison gone, Moreno is the unquestioned centerpiece of UK’s frontcourt. He should find plenty of open looks given the bevy of knockdown shooters and playmakers around him, including the nation’s top three-point specialist in Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic. On the other end, he will continue to anchor the Wildcats’ defense, utilizing his length and athleticism to protect the paint. If he plays with more physicality, it’s easy to imagine Moreno averaging a double-double and ranking near the top of the SEC in blocks.
3. Najai Hines, 6-foot-10 forward, UConn
There’s a reason they call him “Baby Shaq.” The 6-foot-10, 278-pound Hines was also a football star in high school, receiving numerous Power Four offers as a tight end before deciding to focus on basketball. A New Jersey native, Hines played his freshman season at Seton Hall and averaged 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and a Big East-best 2.2 blocks in just 18 minutes. In two games against UConn, he upped his production to 10.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.
Hines will take over as the Huskies starting center and bring a lot of what Tarris Reed Jr. provided: size, muscle, physicality, rebounding and rim protection. He isn’t as polished a scorer as Reed, but he still finishes strong in the paint and figures to be the beneficiary of a lot of those beautiful Dan Hurley offensive sets.
4. Matt Able, 6-foot-9 guard, North Carolina
Like Moreno, Able flirted with turning pro before withdrawing from the draft and committing to the Tar Heels in May. The sharpshooting guard spent his freshman season at NC State, where he averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 35.5 percent from three. He scored in double figures 14 times, including a season-high 19 points against North Carolina.
Able fits perfectly on Michael Malone’s debut roster. The former four-star recruit is projected to start on the wing alongside Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas and Utah transfer Terrence Brown. Avdalas is one of the best passers in college basketball, while Brown is a highly skilled scorer always in attack mode. Both command significant attention, which should open more opportunities for Able. As the team’s most complete offensive weapon, Able is poised to put up big numbers before making the jump to the NBA next summer.
5. Omer Mayer, 6-foot-4 guard, Purdue
A new era is underway in West Lafayette. Purdue’s core of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer is gone, so Matt Painter is handing the keys to a bunch of budding returnees, most notably Mayer. A former pro from Israel, Mayer entered his freshman campaign with tremendous hype after he lit up the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Prior to joining the Boilermakers, he played for the distinguished EuroLeague club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Backing up the two-time All-American Smith, Mayer averaged 5.5 points in 14.3 minutes. While his role was limited, he got to learn from arguably the best point guard in college basketball. Now Mayer will take over as Purdue’s primary floor general, a position that comes with a great deal of pressure considering the success of his predecessor. With a year under his belt, a much bigger opportunity and the guidance of Painter, Mayer is primed for a major breakout season.
6. Jaylen Petty, 6-foot-1 guard, UCLA
After playing second fiddle to All-Big 12 guard Christian Anderson at Texas Tech, Petty is expected to run the show for the Bruins this season. There were plenty of flashes of the 19-year-old’s rare talent in 2025-26. While undersized, Petty possesses elite speed, handles, footwork and outside shooting ability. With the Red Raiders, he averaged 9.9 points and scored 20 or more on three occasions, including a season-high 24 in an NCAA Tournament win over Akron.
The UCLA newcomer who has generated the most buzz is Nikola Kusturica, a Serbian star who is projected as the possible No. 1 pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. But at least in 2026-27, the more experienced Petty should spearhead the Bruins’ offense. Once he gets accustomed to Mick Cronin’s system, which is slower than most and emphasizes half-court execution, Petty should lead the team in scoring and assists on most nights.
7. Jamarion Batemon, 6-foot-3 guard, Iowa State
Program stalwart Tamin Lipsey and All-American Joshua Jefferson exhausted their eligibility. Top scorer Milan Momcilovic transferred to Kentucky. Promising returnee Killyan Toure underwent shoulder surgery that will sideline him until at least January. In order to remain contenders in the Big 12, Iowa State is banking on several young players to step up, perhaps none more than Batemon.
A consensus four-star recruit who was ISU’s seventh highest-ranked signee in the modern era, Batemon averaged 6.6 points in 15.5 minutes as a freshman. He made 37.7 percent from behind the arc, while long-distance shots accounted for more than two thirds of his attempts. He will have the ultimate green light this season, which should lead to some big-time scoring performances (in high school, he once dropped 52 points in a half, knocking down 15 straight threes). But Batemon also needs to expand his offensive repertoire for the Cyclones to be successful, becoming a more assertive driver and pick-and-roll operator.
8. Cayden Boozer, 6-foot-4 guard, Duke
Last season ended on a sour note for Boozer, whose turnover in the waning seconds of Duke’s Elite Eight clash with UConn led to Braylon Mullins’ game-winning three. Predictably, that sequence overshadowed everything that happened in the weeks prior, when Boozer was playing his best basketball. The twin brother of reigning National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer, Cayden stepped into the Blue Devils’ starting lineup in March after Caleb Foster broke his foot. Through seven postseason games, Boozer averaged 13 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field.
This is a bet on Boozer continuing to produce at that rate, moving past the heartbreaking play that came to define his freshman campaign. Duke has an extremely crowded backcourt — Boozer and Foster are back, and the program added Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell and five-star recruit Deron Rippey Jr. — so Boozer may come off the bench, at least initially. But there is no question that his role and importance to the team’s success will increase.
9. Davis Fogle, 6-foot-7 guard, Gonzaga
Due to ongoing eligibility cases, Gonzaga’s roster remains in flux. Fogle’s spot, however, is solidified, and the jumbo wing has a chance to be one of the top players in the new Pac-12. He was a major spark off the bench for the Bulldogs last season, earning WCC All-Freshman honors with averages of 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. His playing time increased following the injury to Braden Huff, and the former four-star recruit took full advantage. In the final of the WCC Tournament, Fogle put up 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals to help Gonzaga secure the 79-68 win over Santa Clara. A week later, he made his March Madness debut against Kennesaw State and dropped 17 points.
With his positional size, high motor and two-way versatility, Fogle is bound to stuff the stat sheet in a heightened role. The Zags are counting on him to do so after losing four starters, including reigning WCC Player of the Year Graham Ike.
10. Eric Reibe, 7-foot-1 center, USC
After transferring from UConn to USC this offseason, Reibe re-aggravated a foot injury and had to undergo surgery in late July. The Trojans have yet to release a timetable for his return, but it’s possible the big man is ready for the season opener. Whenever he comes back, Reibe is expected to assume the team’s starting center role.
The former McDonald’s All-American had a solid freshman season with the Huskies, averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes. He offered a glimpse at his immense potential during nonconference play, when Tarris Reed Jr. was hobbled by an ankle injury; over a five-game stretch around Thanksgiving, Reibe posted 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest. That could easily be his stat line for the entire 2026-27 campaign, which would be huge for a USC squad that looks — at least on paper — like a real contender to win the Big Ten crown.
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