{"id":591399,"date":"2026-04-07T14:32:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/591399\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:32:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:32:24","slug":"mens-ncaa-basketball-2026-27-way-too-early-top-25-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/591399\/","title":{"rendered":"Men&#8217;s NCAA basketball 2026-27 Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775572332_57_borzello_jeff.png&#038;h=80&#038;w=80&#038;scale=crop.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Jeff BorzelloApr 6, 2026, 11:20 PM ET<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"icon-font-after icon-close-solid-after\" href=\"#\">Close<\/a> Basketball recruiting insider.<br \/>\n Joined ESPN in 2014.<br \/>\n Graduate of University of Delaware.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple Authors<\/p>\n<p><a data-clubhouse-guid=\"c00151c6-cdd4-5aab-0130-37416052eb2a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/130\/michigan-wolverines\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Michigan<\/a> cemented its place among the most dominant teams in recent men&#8217;s college basketball history Monday, beating <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"c7561e25-c7f2-5ddd-4191-899a98236d54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/41\/uconn-huskies\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">UConn<\/a> to win the program&#8217;s first national championship since 1989. The Wolverines (37-3) won 29 games this season by double digits and set multiple NCAA tournament records in the process. And now coach Dusty May gets to reload for a repeat run.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s next? We&#8217;re already rolling right into the &#8220;offseason,&#8221; which mostly just involves rampant roster changes for the next six weeks. The transfer portal, NBA draft stay-or-go decisions, the various coaching changes &#8212; all huge storylines to follow as we close the book on 2025-26.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, we&#8217;ve had pretty hard-and-fast house rules regarding the Way-Too-Early Top 25. For example, any player ranked in the top 50 of ESPN&#8217;s NBA draft rankings was considered a departure. But with the rising number of borderline first-round picks opting to return to school due to lucrative NIL and revenue share agreements, it&#8217;s impossible to use that as a cutoff. Now, it&#8217;s a little more loose. Late first-round picks could go either way, and we&#8217;re going to build in some speculation.<\/p>\n<p>Any player projected outside the first round in ESPN&#8217;s NBA draft rankings is factored in as a returnee for now.<\/p>\n<p>And with the transfer portal officially opening in a matter of hours, these rankings are likely to go haywire very soon. So, dive in quickly &#8212; we&#8217;re only 209 days away from the first game of the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/_end_rule.png\" width=\"100%\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775572333_536_130.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The reigning national champions have a legitimate chance to go back-to-back depending on the NBA draft decisions of frontcourt stalwarts <a data-player-guid=\"bcb0b572-7f8d-3cfe-91ab-625c31cfc6b5\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5174983\/aday-mara\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aday Mara<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"41acc522-7c02-37cc-a39c-fe18eea0c246\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873153\/morez-johnson-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Morez Johnson Jr<\/a>. Entering the NCAA tournament, both players were projected in the late first round. After high-level performances in the tournament, though, both could justifiably leave. <a data-player-guid=\"6af44d66-2224-36c8-96d9-155bbb044539\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4869764\/elliot-cadeau\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elliot Cadeau<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"3716770f-2820-3e7e-9705-113040c0bc35\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5041954\/trey-mckenney\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trey McKenney<\/a> are expected to return, though, while incoming five-star recruit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/254866\/brandon-mccoy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brandon McCoy<\/a> should join them on the perimeter.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Elliot Cadeau (10.1 PPG)<br \/>Brandon McCoy (No. 18 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Trey McKenney (9.5 PPG)<br \/>Morez Johnson Jr. (13.4 PPG)<br \/>Aday Mara (12.0 PPG)<\/p>\n<p>Editor&#8217;s Picks<\/p>\n<p>2 Related<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/150.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>As usual, Duke&#8217;s roster is in as much flux as anyone&#8217;s in college basketball. <a data-player-guid=\"da7388f4-9ebf-3817-b810-a0711c384656\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5041935\/cameron-boozer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cameron Boozer<\/a> is gone, as is <a data-player-guid=\"d7aafb78-13eb-3c4a-9bde-bc5f7b8b39bc\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105337\/maliq-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Maliq Brown<\/a>. But <a data-player-guid=\"d5da059e-0795-3877-86f4-4197b62d1bfb\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5061585\/isaiah-evans\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Isaiah Evans<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"fec6f9fc-c5d9-3fab-a3b9-280f77699357\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873209\/patrick-ngongba-ii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Patrick Ngongba II<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"ea322bd0-1f96-37a2-abe5-7dc7596d5c50\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5287474\/dame-sarr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dame Sarr<\/a> are all projected as late first-round or early second-round draft picks, and could go either way. Coach Jon Scheyer again also has the nation&#8217;s best recruiting class, led by five-stars <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/259983\/cameron-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cameron Williams<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/255052\/deron-rippey-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Deron Rippey Jr<\/a>. <a data-player-guid=\"bc722fea-34fe-3040-93a4-acd7af7a1eed\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4711256\/caleb-foster\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Caleb Foster<\/a> should return as a starter, and <a data-player-guid=\"609bf90a-c73f-3032-aba9-5c2d093d0d9b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5041937\/cayden-boozer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cayden Boozer<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"a64a8aba-ad1b-3767-94c5-8e3a9f4d1775\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144124\/nikolas-khamenia\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nikolas Khamenia<\/a> are set for bigger roles if they&#8217;re back in Durham.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Deron Rippey Jr. (No. 13 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Caleb Foster (8.5 PPG)<br \/>Dame Sarr (6.4 PPG)<br \/>Cameron Williams (No. 3 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Patrick Ngongba (10.5 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/57.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Will coach Todd Golden be able to run it back for a third consecutive season with the frontcourt duo of <a data-player-guid=\"924c1cb5-a635-3ed0-a81e-09fb1e3d0d3f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5174657\/alex-condon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Condon<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"caea03f5-841d-31cc-a114-6601022250ac\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5174971\/rueben-chinyelu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rueben Chinyelu<\/a>? Condon is projected in a similar draft range to last season, when he opted to return to Gainesville. Chinyelu really began to hit his offensive stride in SEC play this past season. If both return, look out. <a data-player-guid=\"3b5ea3e0-1ac8-337f-8b15-29fcb20474c3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5238195\/boogie-fland\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Boogie Fland<\/a> is already set to come back, while <a data-player-guid=\"cfeecfe6-10a1-30ba-9d90-0c01a606e324\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5238200\/urban-klavzar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Urban Klavzar<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"13abab72-00e6-30d8-85fd-5e40b0b4a235\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144372\/isaiah-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Isaiah Brown<\/a> both saw their roles expand as the season progressed. Expect the Gators to be aggressive in the transfer portal for a shotmaking wing.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Boogie Fland (11.7 PPG)<br \/>Urban Klavzar (9.7 PPG)<br \/>Isaiah Brown (5.6 PPG)<br \/>Alex Condon (14.9 PPG)<br \/>Rueben Chinyelu (11.2 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775572334_173_41.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>After three title game appearances in four years, including two national championships, it&#8217;s impossible to keep UConn too far from the top of the rankings &#8212; even if life without Storrs stalwart <a data-player-guid=\"80088292-4b09-39c6-b079-79c090c5a986\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4917149\/alex-karaban\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Karaban<\/a> is set to begin. The backcourt of <a data-player-guid=\"5e72775a-6cc6-3df0-ba59-7f9c0b73b9aa\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5054083\/silas-demary-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Silas Demary Jr<\/a>. and <a data-player-guid=\"635dae53-e22f-3ed6-bfdc-d1d52fe7981b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4895737\/solo-ball\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Solo Ball<\/a> should be back, while <a data-player-guid=\"9482f812-6a5c-3353-b712-8159dd983244\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5196916\/braylon-mullins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Braylon Mullins<\/a> looks poised for the NBA draft and <a data-player-guid=\"360f2005-a262-3680-9882-38c27ed1c5e0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105809\/tarris-reed-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tarris Reed Jr<\/a>. is out of college eligibility. <a data-player-guid=\"49cb1e26-7ce6-3a13-98f3-250624a67dd6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4895753\/jayden-ross\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jayden Ross<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"85b097d7-6682-3d57-bd12-76f1da11affc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5152763\/eric-reibe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Eric Reibe<\/a> look ready for increased roles, and an underrated recruiting class &#8212; led by top-35 forward <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/267299\/colben-landrew\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Colben Landrew<\/a> &#8212; should help.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Silas Demary Jr. (10.6 PPG)<br \/>Solo Ball (13.0 PPG)<br \/>Jayden Ross (4.8 PPG)<br \/>Colben Landrew (No. 31 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Eric Reibe (6.5 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/12.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Arizona was one of the best teams in the country all season before its national semifinal blowout loss to Michigan. The Wildcats are likely to lose freshmen <a data-player-guid=\"d34296c4-a308-3512-81e8-49f80c2b9b71\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5082206\/brayden-burries\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brayden Burries<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"2bb1c38f-a810-397f-b99f-a7e37a3feaa8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5041953\/koa-peat\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Koa Peat<\/a> to the NBA draft, and Big 12 Player of the Year <a data-player-guid=\"df9228a1-a5fd-36fe-a616-0955a706678f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4432737\/jaden-bradley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaden Bradley<\/a> and key bench players <a data-player-guid=\"888818ce-721f-38af-9849-d001dc25c7dd\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105555\/tobe-awaka\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tobe Awaka<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"b69f4141-8c58-3c54-b1ed-f96d64a9e6e0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5108141\/anthony-dellorso\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anthony Dell&#8217;Orso<\/a> are out of eligibility. But coach Tommy Lloyd should bring back frontcourt starters <a data-player-guid=\"040032e3-7da8-3e4e-b600-34554c85e447\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311896\/ivan-kharchenkov\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ivan Kharchenkov<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"46726a02-13f1-3edf-abb4-ab224d288f35\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5174954\/motiejus-krivas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Motiejus Krivas<\/a>, and top-five recruit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/254852\/caleb-holt\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Caleb Holt<\/a> should have an immediate impact. The Wildcats need a point guard out of the transfer portal.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Caleb Holt (No. 4 in SC Next 100)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/254869\/cameron-holmes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cameron Holmes<\/a> (No. 50 in SC Next 100)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"48746eb0-80eb-37e1-a467-38da1d1f6544\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5186456\/dwayne-aristode\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dwayne Aristode<\/a> (4.1 PPG)<br \/>Ivan Kharchenkov (10.2 PPG)<br \/>Motiejus Krivas (10.4 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/127.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Assuming <a data-player-guid=\"b7595a2e-cc31-310c-814f-7cc93c593db2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4711255\/jeremy-fears-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeremy Fears Jr<\/a>. returns to East Lansing, coach Tom Izzo should have one of his best and deepest teams in recent years. <a data-player-guid=\"e806d69e-39b2-39f5-b7de-2824512a4a60\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105815\/jaxon-kohler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaxon Kohler<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"4301d7f9-821f-3d29-8707-1b62a0a0d620\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105817\/carson-cooper\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carson Cooper<\/a> will be gone, but the Spartans have <a data-player-guid=\"02f49e3a-68d0-3e51-b39c-872ea23471f6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5101798\/cam-ward\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cam Ward<\/a> ready to take a step forward and top-50 recruit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260187\/ethan-taylor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ethan Taylor<\/a> to help. <a data-player-guid=\"9f83363c-4753-3afa-a57c-10b2297dff28\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4872740\/coen-carr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Coen Carr<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"8afd3787-a0d3-3840-b697-19142c8bafaa\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873111\/kur-teng\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kur Teng<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"3265a4e0-6689-3ccb-9692-6e28c5562407\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5196931\/jordan-scott\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Scott<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"d8d3e597-81cd-3b91-b479-c57994828704\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5060733\/divine-ugochukwu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Divine Ugochukwu<\/a> all contributed this past season and will be back, and <a data-player-guid=\"aa07de0a-93ba-3237-9f9b-6917174d4dbb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4685668\/kaleb-glenn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kaleb Glenn<\/a> should be healthy. Top-50 recruit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260142\/jasiah-jervis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jasiah Jervis<\/a> is another option who gives Izzo a fast-rising shotmaker with a high ceiling.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy Fears Jr. (15.3 PPG)<br \/>Jordan Scott (5.9 PPG)<br \/>Kur Teng (7.5 PPG)<br \/>Coen Carr (12.0 PPG)<br \/>Cam Ward (5.2 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Coach John Calipari is still leaning into freshmen, and he&#8217;s still producing some of the best one-and-done prospects in college basketball. Next in line is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/254867\/jordan-smith\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Smith<\/a>, the best guard in the 2026 high school class and a high-level competitor with two-way ability. Fellow five-star recruit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/254855\/jashawn-andrews\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">JaShawn Andrews<\/a> could also earn a starting role next season, and top-50 senior <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/261665\/abdou-toure\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Abdou Toure<\/a> can get downhill. But much of the optimism in Fayetteville centers on the returns of <a data-player-guid=\"4963b9d7-868a-376f-ad8d-55fd0c59be5f\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5041951\/meleek-thomas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Meleek Thomas<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"1b494d94-cad3-351e-9d00-5eced707fddf\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5060732\/billy-richmond-iii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Billy Richmond III<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"0fc3cf1b-158f-3d64-969e-cee0cc4502ec\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105546\/malique-ewin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Malique Ewin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Jordan Smith (No. 2 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Meleek Thomas (15.6 PPG)<br \/>Billy Richmond III (11.1 PPG)<br \/>JaShawn Andrews (No. 12 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Malique Ewin (9.9 PPG)<\/p>\n<p>The enhanced ESPN App<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/plus.espn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"imageLoaded\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/r1534225_1296x729_16-9.jpg\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch your favorite events in the newly upgraded ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.espn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sign Up Now<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/356.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Coach Brad Underwood should have the players to make another run at a Big Ten championship and the Final Four next season. Most of the team&#8217;s key European players have more eligibility, including <a data-player-guid=\"9b0180bc-4575-32bf-8dd3-cf277c26203f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311832\/david-mirkovic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David Mirkovic<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"b2e6af27-fa86-3618-9e7f-d47f7cefec0f\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5214642\/tomislav-ivisic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tomislav Ivisic<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"b1c505b5-5432-379d-b4c2-6b0844fc180a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5174665\/zvonimir-ivisic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zvonimir Ivisic<\/a>, while <a data-player-guid=\"511e1a06-a4a4-3ea3-a4c7-251cc64302eb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5175007\/andrej-stojakovic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Andrej Stojakovic<\/a> &#8212; who excelled in a bench role &#8212; could also return. The Illini will have to replace <a data-player-guid=\"3cbd8826-197e-3847-ab40-ddead19f1fb1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5254165\/keaton-wagler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Keaton Wagler<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"f14bb50c-ba08-3255-b7e5-148b4030dbb6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4684269\/kylan-boswell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kylan Boswell<\/a>, most likely via the transfer portal. But incoming freshmen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/267994\/quentin-coleman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quentin Coleman<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/266042\/lucas-morillo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lucas Morillo<\/a> will push for minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Quentin Coleman (No. 30 in SC Next 100)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"dfa4ddc8-2918-a939-004d-bd31169ff5c5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5176150\/jake-davis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jake Davis<\/a> (5.6 PPG)<br \/>Andrej Stojakovic (13.5 PPG)<br \/>David Mirkovic (13.6 PPG)<br \/>Tomislav Ivisic (10.2 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/258.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Coach Ryan Odom led Virginia to a 30-win season in Year 1 in Charlottesville, a 15-win improvement from 2024-25. Though scorers <a data-player-guid=\"f3462413-7384-3140-945f-69b98e0391f5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4683758\/malik-thomas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Malik Thomas<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"ce942290-e126-35c4-b09d-4a9245cde16c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5107274\/jacari-white\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jacari White<\/a>, and shot blocker <a data-player-guid=\"6a87526a-06c8-36c8-8504-1c470e962bd8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5037878\/ugonna-onyenso\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ugonna Onyenso<\/a> are all gone, Odom should bring back a terrific core quartet in <a data-player-guid=\"ec08d11c-df34-332f-bdf7-9e74571a6db9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5150404\/chance-mallory\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chance Mallory<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"1d70c249-d62b-3f15-ac92-ac1bff4b0f89\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5176232\/sam-lewis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sam Lewis<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"bb496f36-022b-392d-bcbc-bd454d4d18ba\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311846\/thijs-de-ridder\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Thijs De Ridder<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"65ddb99a-c38e-39e0-ba9e-19cc4ccb58ac\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311844\/johann-grunloh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Johann Grunloh<\/a>. Virginia paid well for its rebuild last offseason, so it&#8217;s expected the Cavaliers also will be able to go into the transfer portal and find a big-time scoring wing for this next season.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Chance Mallory (9.3 PPG)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"aa571f14-244d-366e-a9ae-7dd6fd7c6410\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5080790\/elijah-gertrude\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elijah Gertrude<\/a> (1.7 PPG)<br \/>Sam Lewis (10.6 PPG)<br \/>Thijs De Ridder (15.6 PPG)<br \/>Johann Grunloh (7.1 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/248.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>There are plenty of questions about the roster situation in Houston entering the offseason, but we&#8217;re putting our faith in coach Kelvin Sampson to again figure it out. <a data-player-guid=\"208fdcea-d69a-31f2-b792-347e817f8a9b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873086\/mercy-miller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mercy Miller<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"51a45f4e-d618-3d28-918a-6dd034006026\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5101660\/chase-mccarty\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chase McCarty<\/a> had increased roles as the season progressed, and <a data-player-guid=\"32439c5f-d83b-3659-9721-9cce6d6bea89\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5060700\/joseph-tugler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joseph Tugler<\/a> could also be back. Top-50 recruits <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/262257\/arafan-diane\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Arafan Diane<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/255075\/ikenna-alozie\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ikenna Alozie<\/a> also will push for early minutes. It would make sense if the Cougars went into the portal for a high-level playmaking guard, and former five-star recruit <a data-player-guid=\"423c1148-a8fd-3727-9ef1-9a68d4bea828\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5142621\/chris-cenac-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Cenac Jr<\/a>. could also opt to return to school.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Ikenna Alozie (No. 38 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Mercy Miller (5.2 PPG)<br \/>Chase McCarty (4.0 PPG)<br \/>Joseph Tugler (8.5 PPG)<br \/>Arafan Diane (No. 20 in SC Next 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2599.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This ranking is a bet on coach Rick Pitino, and a bet on his team&#8217;s recent success in the transfer portal. The Red Storm could potentially return plenty of perimeter talent, with <a data-player-guid=\"c0f06d87-45fb-3b62-a632-407fdea41a01\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105658\/dylan-darling\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Darling<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"bade1cf0-d621-35ba-a4c3-2af4e3610826\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4869770\/ian-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ian Jackson<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"7f0fefae-0f76-3f24-90f7-a36dadada48b\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5142625\/joson-sanon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joson Sanon<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"065f9e21-3590-3ade-be32-aa3e9d5e534d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5145712\/lefteris-liotopoulos\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lefteris Liotopoulos<\/a> all maintaining eligibility. But St. John&#8217;s desperately needs to shore up the frontcourt with <a data-player-guid=\"6223411c-5085-3e1f-bb47-fd6b32e8bdba\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5106262\/zuby-ejiofor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zuby Ejiofor<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"03ec5ddc-6e79-31f5-9c01-069a1c756af8\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4565698\/bryce-hopkins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bryce Hopkins<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"b0bc1cea-ae5e-3985-8ed6-d35e1c012fd5\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5106283\/dillon-mitchell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dillon Mitchell<\/a> all gone. <a data-player-guid=\"37856a85-c22d-382c-b9aa-c994f471308e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5240539\/ruben-prey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ruben Prey<\/a> could be ready for a bigger role, though. Will Pitino spend big to avoid the same point guard problems that plagued his group this season?<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Dylan Darling (6.9 PPG)<br \/>Ian Jackson (9.6 PPG)<br \/>Joson Sanon (8.1 PPG)<br \/>Lefteris Liotopoulos (3.0 PPG)<br \/>Ruben Prey (4.1 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/66.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"26cd511d-7b66-3248-9516-6804fae3a285\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5106254\/tamin-lipsey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tamin Lipsey<\/a> was the heartbeat of an incredibly successful run in Ames, and <a data-player-guid=\"ce3cc2fe-3faf-3710-9e7d-b5d304cf99eb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4870564\/joshua-jefferson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joshua Jefferson<\/a> had an All-American campaign this past season. But both will be gone. How does coach TJ Otzelberger replace them? <a data-player-guid=\"6583790c-8f99-3c0a-8257-685c4f9fa1bb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4848637\/milan-momcilovic\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Milan Momcilovic<\/a> could return, and <a data-player-guid=\"d000ba3f-f102-31a8-8fe9-60765331d4ea\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5248302\/killyan-toure\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Killyan Toure<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"25165777-2356-3fc3-a855-a314ce88822a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5217196\/jamarion-batemon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jamarion Batemon<\/a> form a two-way perimeter duo. <a data-player-guid=\"e74626d3-2afd-3586-ae29-ade129e2d4f0\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5079838\/blake-buchanan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Blake Buchanan<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"ec9c1704-fce7-36e6-835c-ed69c697c275\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5281369\/dominykas-pleta\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dominykas Pleta<\/a> are also back. Former Eastern Washington transfer <a data-player-guid=\"689f0d40-76bd-36e6-a22d-ba373f2b9487\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5175370\/mason-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mason Williams<\/a> should return after last summer&#8217;s hip surgery.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Killyan Toure (8.6 PPG)<br \/>Jamarion Batemon (6.8 PPG)<br \/>Milan Momcilovic (17.2 PPG)<br \/>Blake Buchanan (8.5 PPG)<br \/>Dominykas Pleta (4.5 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/251.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Texas snuck into the NCAA tournament as a First Four team and then won three games in five days to advance to the Sweet 16. How high the Longhorns sit entering next season depends on their ability to find a top point guard and playmaker in the transfer portal &#8212; while also improving on defense, in general. There&#8217;s plenty of firepower if <a data-player-guid=\"59b6b767-0dab-3e45-88f2-55c31e1fd6c5\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4848625\/dailyn-swain\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dailyn Swain<\/a> opts to come back to college, as he&#8217;ll have breakout center <a data-player-guid=\"868d4d10-2d0c-354f-b9a2-b55ea7a7798f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5239838\/matas-vokietaitis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Matas Vokietaitis<\/a> and incoming five-star guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260113\/austin-goosby\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Austin Goosby<\/a> putting in plenty of points alongside him.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"b08109f3-fe8d-3fcf-8aa3-c9209e0203ab\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4683785\/simeon-wilcher\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Simeon Wilcher<\/a> (5.7 PPG)<br \/>Austin Goosby (No. 16 in SC Next 100)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"7d8618d8-e377-31c3-89fe-5cfd1f87d027\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105855\/camden-heide\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Camden Heide<\/a> (5.9 PPG)<br \/>Dailyn Swain (17.4 PPG)<br \/>Matas Vokietaitis (15.7 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2509.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a new era in West Lafayette. Gone are <a data-player-guid=\"a609551a-802c-382d-bbdb-4bbe1d8d556e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105854\/braden-smith\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Braden Smith<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"7b9cbe2a-8b80-391c-9403-febd5902f886\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105853\/fletcher-loyer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fletcher Loyer<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"9100e842-c240-3173-94f5-3303637e5eb4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4897438\/trey-kaufman-renn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trey Kaufman-Renn<\/a>, a trio that brought a lot of wins and plenty of success to the Boilermakers. <a data-player-guid=\"921a53fa-f95a-3e0d-8bb3-af8ceb198bbc\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5175591\/cj-cox\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">C.J. Cox<\/a> is the lone starter back in the fold, although coach Matt Painter should expect jumps from reserves <a data-player-guid=\"8e218fa6-7439-344d-a15a-177d4004c1a4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5312035\/omer-mayer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Omer Mayer<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"f6080821-0f67-3a4c-9afa-1b1775ff16cb\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144147\/daniel-jacobsen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Jacobsen<\/a>. Incoming top-50 recruit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/267303\/luke-ertel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luke Ertel<\/a> and former Princeton transfer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5107170\/caden-pierce\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Caden Pierce<\/a> should help replace some of the outgoing stars, and potential returnees <a data-player-guid=\"c0b37712-ebc3-3a3c-b5f5-6bec623c3590\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5102618\/jack-benter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Benter<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"f7493278-2cd0-3b99-b6c2-772b02639c27\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5101658\/gicarri-harris\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gicarri Harris<\/a> have plenty of experience as role players.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Luke Ertel (No. 46 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Omer Meyer (5.5 PPG)<br \/>C.J. Cox (8.5 PPG)<br \/>Caden Pierce (11.2 PPG at Princeton)<br \/>Daniel Jacobsen (5.8 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/139.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Josh Schertz&#8217;s time coaching <a data-player-guid=\"7119fbdc-808d-30e2-b3ac-b6d28a9c0453\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4917097\/robbie-avila\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robbie Avila<\/a> has come to an end, but Saint Louis still returns five players who averaged at least nine points for one of the nation&#8217;s highest-octane offenses. <a data-player-guid=\"178271da-ae13-57b8-eb01-bfb0fee57b39\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5175171\/quentin-jones\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quentin Jones<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"7b4da774-f78e-3854-91fb-a1d06274aa89\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4711258\/trey-green\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trey Green<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"cf3d5b46-85f4-313d-9991-851756298c38\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5239707\/amari-mccottry\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amari McCottry<\/a> all started at least 30 games this past season, and <a data-player-guid=\"e3b8a55e-515f-3dcb-abc0-284a73190d96\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105980\/kellen-thames\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kellen Thames<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"f705aca6-9693-3c09-ad3e-1743c4127113\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5183809\/ishan-sharma\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ishan Sharma<\/a> were two of the best bench players in the country. Green, McCottry and Thames all earned third-team All-Atlantic 10 honors. But what will Schertz do to replace Avila?<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Quentin Jones (9.1 PPG)<br \/>Trey Green (10.7 PPG)<br \/>Ishan Sharma (9.1 PPG)<br \/>Amari McCottry (10.5 PPG)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"9fa2c7e0-d287-34d8-a698-2f301397185f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5236225\/jax-kerr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jax Kerr<\/a> (2.8 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2628.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The last time coach Jamie Dixon had this type of continuity, TCU was a top-25 team for most of the 2023-24 season and earned a 6-seed in the NCAA tournament. The Horned Frogs had only one senior in the rotation this past season, guard <a data-player-guid=\"d38fb180-5250-30f7-90c0-844196f6f9bc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105619\/jayden-pierre\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jayden Pierre<\/a>, and though <a data-player-guid=\"2dd8aac2-a647-331c-bf7a-f887d0a9109e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5101654\/jace-posey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jace Posey<\/a> has already opted for the transfer portal, there&#8217;s a chance Dixon brings back most of his key players. <a data-player-guid=\"41040597-c654-3956-a21d-b4e113aaaf7b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5037876\/micah-robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Micah Robinson<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"f6e9b329-e4c8-393b-8dcc-ae1797ab3370\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5164368\/david-punch\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David Punch<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"b2514877-6685-309c-be52-631a69040cbd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311928\/xavier-edmonds\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Xavier Edmonds<\/a> form one of the nation&#8217;s most underrated frontcourts, and top-ranked junior college transfer Trent Lincoln could offer a needed influx of scoring.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"0c54adc3-17bf-3924-8c93-5c92768d1945\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5103589\/brock-harding\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brock Harding<\/a> (8.0 PPG)<br \/>Trent Lincoln (JUCO)<br \/>Micah Robinson (10.9 PPG)<br \/>David Punch (14.1 PPG)<br \/>Xavier Edmonds (12.7 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/30.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>There are still a few moving parts, particularly in the backcourt, but coach Eric Musselman could have one of the most talented teams in the country, from an NBA perspective, if everything holds. The Trojans have an elite recruiting class with three McDonald&#8217;s All-Americans, headlined by five-star frontcourt players <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/261391\/christian-collins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian Collins<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260193\/adonis-ratliff\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Adonis Ratliff<\/a>. <a data-player-guid=\"026d2446-395c-3e02-9399-5634b589f552\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144495\/alijah-arenas\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alijah Arenas<\/a> is one of those future NBA talents, and <a data-player-guid=\"fca49f38-d2b2-3a5b-a16e-62d207132c12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4684634\/rodney-rice\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rodney Rice<\/a> averaged more than 20 points before an injury. If Rice and Arenas return, USC has an incredibly high ceiling.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Rodney Rice (20.3 PPG)<br \/>Alijah Arenas (14.1 PPG)<br \/>Christian Collins (No. 5 in SC Next 100)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"c45085ea-5322-3d92-a8ed-5c762727d85e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873219\/jacob-cofie\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jacob Cofie<\/a> (9.9 PPG)<br \/>Adonis Ratliff (No. 15 in SC Next 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/158.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>After putting together the biggest surprise season of anyone in college basketball, what does coach Fred Hoiberg have in store for an encore? <a data-player-guid=\"da79d480-a59e-36b5-8e6f-4b5b50ea873e\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4592677\/rienk-mast\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rienk Mast<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"fa33d7f6-2ca0-3a48-a924-57672fd87370\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105825\/jamarques-lawrence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jamarques Lawrence<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"0064e70b-8378-3a4a-9994-a7211c350907\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4897432\/sam-hoiberg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sam Hoiberg<\/a> are all gone, but elite shotmaker <a data-player-guid=\"d34b9770-037c-38a1-b238-2d6560d8a1c9\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4858604\/pryce-sandfort\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pryce Sandfort<\/a> and sixth man extraordinaire <a data-player-guid=\"47485bb4-709a-3ed0-bab9-7d68fd4aa14a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5239571\/braden-frager\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Braden Frager<\/a> should be back. <a data-player-guid=\"e231b2f7-f0ca-33f5-ba11-b265d9a89b80\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5174982\/berke-buyuktuncel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Berke Buyuktuncel<\/a> should also return as a starter. The Cornhuskers could use point guard help, though, and perhaps a reliable frontcourt player alongside Buyuktuncel.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"a7456744-20d1-395f-8f43-a6e51c959ca1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105827\/cale-jacobsen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cale Jacobsen<\/a> (4.6 PPG)<br \/>Braden Frager (11.7 PPG)<br \/>Pryce Sandfort (17.9 PPG)<br \/>Berke Buyuktuncel (6.7 PPG)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"5757b1d5-a7a5-3ae7-bbfe-fab5d344cae5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5108721\/ugnius-jarusevicius\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ugnius Jarusevicius<\/a> (16.2 PPG at Central Michigan in 2024-25)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/153.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Michael Malone is a risky hire for the Tar Heels, given his lack of college coaching experience &#8212; and the fact the portal will open hours after his hire. But if he can keep together the core of the Tar Heels&#8217; projected roster, this is a surefire top-25 team. <a data-player-guid=\"58416d5c-eb6e-3bd7-93f5-49a1ebd53692\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5105571\/henri-veesaar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Henri Veesaar<\/a> is an All-American-level player, and <a data-player-guid=\"ba750942-f9e4-379d-883f-09175d813413\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5312014\/luka-bogavac\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luka Bogavac<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"b71ee307-9130-391c-8ba2-1b5522944636\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873181\/jarin-stevenson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jarin Stevenson<\/a> all started a lot of games. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/255053\/dylan-mingo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Mingo<\/a> is a top-10 recruit who will make an immediate impact, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/255090\/maximo-adams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Maximo Adams<\/a> should contribute. <a data-player-guid=\"a16f8eda-86af-3387-836d-843a81892d85\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144097\/derek-dixon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derek Dixon<\/a> is the lone key player to announce his transfer thus far.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Dylan Mingo (No. 9 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Luka Bogavac (9.8 PPG)<br \/>Maximo Adams (No. 21 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Jarin Stevenson (8.1 PPG)<br \/>Henri Veesaar (17.0 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/333.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re assuming <a data-player-guid=\"cfb791fa-337f-32a3-8693-c7b5cb4eaec4\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873090\/labaron-philon-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Labaron Philon Jr<\/a>. and <a data-player-guid=\"9c020499-353c-318a-bf77-f9097f4ece9a\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5101833\/amari-allen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amari Allen<\/a> head to the NBA and <a data-player-guid=\"942815f1-f616-3ef0-8f9f-9d497231a88c\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4684276\/aden-holloway\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aden Holloway<\/a> is ultimately reinstated after his recent drug arrest. Coach Nate Oats should return some promising players to Tuscaloosa, even with <a data-player-guid=\"6ef05838-fa38-3fe1-b549-4ce22a38e2cf\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873184\/aiden-sherrell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aiden Sherrell<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"f70b609c-4414-3d77-9d5d-ac7ef810e6b9\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4685658\/taylor-bol-bowen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Taylor Bol Bowen<\/a> entering the portal Monday afternoon. <a data-player-guid=\"f0d861b5-5064-34d0-ab34-2391bebc1ba8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144139\/london-jemison\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">London Jemison<\/a> is the most intriguing of the non-Holloway returnees, and five-star guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/255079\/jaxon-richardson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaxon Richardson<\/a> brings a necessary edge on the defensive end and fellow incoming freshman <a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260001\/qayden-samuels\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Qayden Samuels<\/a> can really score.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Aden Holloway (16.8 PPG)<br \/>Jaxon Richardson (No. 17 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Qayden Samuels (No. 24 in SC Next 100)<br \/>London Jemison (6.2 PPG)<br \/>Keitenn Bristow (3.6 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2250.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"efdccd01-d4ac-30af-95a2-bc6c7bb27d29\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4703396\/graham-ike\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Graham Ike<\/a> is out of eligibility, and two other starters are out the door, leaving coach Mark Few with as uncertain a roster as we&#8217;ve seen in Spokane recently. Does he run it back with <a data-player-guid=\"e9d15bca-aedf-3a0d-9beb-80531ed0ca66\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5313012\/mario-saint-supery\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mario Saint-Supery<\/a> at point guard? Is <a data-player-guid=\"24881ed4-ff11-3166-898e-25279ef6bf52\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4894445\/braden-huff\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Braden Huff<\/a> coming back to school? Can <a data-player-guid=\"89ba0ae5-dd50-32e6-ad4e-2d53713f484f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5196913\/davis-fogle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Davis Fogle<\/a> be the next big-time Gonzaga wing? The good news is, there is a talented recruiting class headed to Gonzaga, led by top-100 recruit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260005\/luca-foster\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luca Foster<\/a> and European pro <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/268617\/jack-kayil\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Kayil<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Mario Saint-Supery (8.6 PPG)<br \/>Jack Kayil (12.0 PPG for ALBA Berlin)<br \/>Luca Foster (No. 51 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Davis Fogle (8.6 PPG)<br \/>Braden Huff (17.8 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/252.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"38a12eab-4c0d-3984-95c6-6bb5a14d90f9\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5142718\/aj-dybantsa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AJ Dybantsa<\/a>&#8216;s incredible one-season stay in college is over, and coach Kevin Young is already reloading with another top-10 recruit in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/260221\/bruce-branch-iii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bruce Branch III<\/a>. The No. 6 player in the class of 2026 won&#8217;t have the same impact, but he&#8217;s a shotmaker with size. There also has been ample transfer speculation surrounding <a data-player-guid=\"37c18106-793b-34e3-ac0a-910848638246\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5060709\/robert-wright-iii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Wright III<\/a> &#8212; but if he returns to Provo, he&#8217;ll form one of the most explosive perimeter duos in the country next to Branch. Young needs to figure out the frontcourt situation, but with <a data-player-guid=\"be517aaf-3df5-324f-9528-949cec2b597d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4702626\/dawson-baker\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dawson Baker<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"668be06f-3f69-38c0-92ca-6997d0bf5944\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4685654\/kennard-davis-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kennard Davis Jr<\/a>. and others potentially back, there is plenty of shooting on the roster.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Robert Wright III (18.1 PPG)<br \/>Bruce Branch III (No. 6 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Dawson Baker (7.5 PPG)<br \/>Kennard Davis Jr. (8.5 PPG)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"011927a7-c338-391b-9bc6-05d52d74fc76\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5262601\/khadim-mboup\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Khadim Mboup<\/a> (2.2 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/142.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Coach Dennis Gates is bringing in a top-five recruiting class, led by two five-star prospects in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/254854\/jason-crowe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jason Crowe<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/255115\/toni-bryant\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Toni Bryant<\/a>. Crowe is arguably the most explosive offensive player in the senior class, and he&#8217;s going to immediately be a high-volume, high-usage guard for the Tigers. Bryant, meanwhile, is a high-level athlete who can really play in transition. Among the returnees, <a data-player-guid=\"609009f6-81f2-3ba7-a406-c0b7f1f1e9ba\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5144166\/to-barrett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">T.O. Barrett<\/a> became a reliable tablesetter as the season progressed, and <a data-player-guid=\"d49657a2-439a-3a43-a237-06d6e6a78711\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5037881\/trent-pierce\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trent Pierce<\/a> looked poised for a breakout campaign down the stretch.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>T.O. Barrett (8.6 PPG)<br \/>Jason Crowe (No. 7 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Toni Bryant (No. 14 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Trent Pierce (10.4 PPG)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"9ed5f66f-0e51-33c2-93c2-f017e4250d56\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5169569\/trent-burns\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trent Burns<\/a> (2.0 PPG)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/238.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Six of the Commodores&#8217; top seven scorers from this season are out of eligibility, but the one who could return is <a data-player-guid=\"2d499f13-6e5f-30f2-b48a-721ea51e4dcb\" href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5187600\/tyler-tanner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tyler Tanner<\/a>, who will enter next season as a preseason All-American, and one of the premier guards in college basketball if he forgoes the NBA draft. What could coach Mark Byington put around him? <a data-player-guid=\"18e34b99-eaa4-3dd7-8c7b-44a546ea4b4f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311759\/chandler-bing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chandler Bing<\/a> carved out a role in the second half of the season, and Vandy has a top-15 recruiting class with three top-100 recruits ready to make an impact. But Byington also has to find impact frontcourt players from the portal.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p>Tyler Tanner (19.5 PPG)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/258565\/anthony-brown-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anthony Brown Jr<\/a>. (No. 76 in SC Next 100)<br \/>Chandler Bing (3.6 PPG)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/258912\/ethan-mgbako\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ethan Mgbako<\/a> (No. 93 in SC Next 100)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/267304\/jackson-sheffield\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jackson Sheffield<\/a> (No. 96 in SC Next 100)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2294.png&#038;w=110&#038;h=110.png\" width=\"31\"\/><\/p>\n<p>For the first time in four years &#8212; at three different schools &#8212; coach Ben McCollum will enter the season without <a data-player-guid=\"2b6cd508-c5b8-379e-abe0-f6d8a94096bc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5241364\/bennett-stirtz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bennett Stirtz<\/a> as his starting point guard. Sure, McCollum had Division II success before Stirtz entered the fold, and he has been a winner at every spot regardless of personnel. But there will be an adjustment given how ball-dominant and high-usage Stirtz was in McCollum&#8217;s system. What will help is that most of the Hawkeyes&#8217; rotation could return, including NCAA tournament contributors <a data-player-guid=\"b1dcc5a1-22d5-3b2e-9af0-7eecf137101d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5177211\/alvaro-folgueiras\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alvaro Folgueiras<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"c3e94eec-5020-3562-ab2b-4e07690a38da\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5311842\/tate-sage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tate Sage<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"808065e1-2188-3aad-a8d0-07edc9d755fe\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4873203\/cooper-koch\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cooper Koch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Projected starting lineup<\/p>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"75e55486-7a33-3b82-979b-65d2a124f931\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5176280\/kael-combs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kael Combs<\/a> (6.2 PPG)<br \/>Tate Sage (5.6 PPG)<br \/>Cooper Koch (7.8 PPG)<br \/>Alvaro Folgueiras (8.5 PPG)<br \/><a data-player-guid=\"2362a707-0f58-33ed-b626-a032f54c1cbe\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5176283\/cam-manyawu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cam Manyawu<\/a> (6.9 PPG)<\/p>\n<p>Next in line<\/p>\n<p><a data-clubhouse-guid=\"ed14cdb0-026d-4f97-ca21-00efacb8b19b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/2633\/tennessee-volunteers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tennessee Volunteers<\/a><br \/><a data-clubhouse-guid=\"83fb6648-677a-1a40-715d-5fa16287399a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/2305\/kansas-jayhawks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kansas Jayhawks<\/a><br \/><a data-clubhouse-guid=\"6c260eaf-10dd-3213-105a-5259a36a899b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/2390\/miami-hurricanes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miami Hurricanes<\/a><br \/><a data-clubhouse-guid=\"290cd85f-b644-73a2-e448-ba75569d3222\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/2641\/texas-tech-red-raiders\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Texas Tech Red Raiders<\/a><br \/><a data-clubhouse-guid=\"5858f992-9c44-5441-8357-6b2af9bde93e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/team\/_\/id\/120\/maryland-terrapins\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Maryland Terrapins<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jeff BorzelloApr 6, 2026, 11:20 PM ET Close Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":591400,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-591399","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=591399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/591400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=591399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=591399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=591399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}