A Wednesday ruling in Indiana could reshape a chunk of college basketball’s 2026-27 picture.
Judge Kara Krothe granted a preliminary injunction to nearly 90 college athletes who are seeking a fifth year of eligibility in Monroe County Circuit Court, opening the door for a wave of players to return. The NCAA is expected to appeal, but for now, some of the sport’s biggest roster dominoes are lined up to fall.
The most notable names on the list include Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey, Miami forward Malik Reneau and Kansas wing Tre White.
Lipsey is expected to be back at Iowa State, and that matters in a big way for T.J. Otzelberger’s group.
A three-time All-Big 12 selection, he was a four-year starter and gives the Cyclones the kind of steady, disruptive guard play that changes the feel of a team. Iowa State also just took a hit with sophomore guard Killyan Toure suffering a significant shoulder injury that will keep him out until midseason.
Lipsey helps patch the biggest offensive concern, especially when it comes to creation without Joshua Jefferson, while also reinforcing what should again be an elite defense. With him back, Iowa State looks like a top-20 team.
Miami appears poised to get a major lift as well. Reneau led the Hurricanes in scoring last season, and his return would give Jai Lucas a powerful left-handed forward to pair with new point guard Acaden Lewis.
That duo has the chance to become one of the ACC’s most dangerous offensive combinations. A starting five of Lewis, Dante Allen, Shelton Henderson, Reneau and Somto Cyril looks strong enough to put Miami in top-10 territory.
Kansas, meanwhile, gets the kind of depth and versatility that matters on a roster that already leans heavy on star power. White is expected to return for a fifth season after playing the best basketball of his career under Bill Self, posting 13.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and shooting better than 40% from 3-point range.
With likely No. 1 pick Tyran Stokes and Utah transfer Keanu Dawes already in the mix, White would give the Jayhawks another experienced piece who can defend, move around the floor and take pressure off younger options. A projected lineup of Taylen Kinney, White, Stokes, Dawes and Paul Mbiya would be loaded, and White’s presence would also make life easier on Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr. and sophomore breakout candidate Kohl Rosario.
There are other programs waiting on big answers, too. Wichita State expects star point guard Kenyon Giles back after he averaged 19.1 points and shot over 37% from deep on huge volume, a profile that could push the Shockers toward the top of the American after a 24-win season. Indiana is in line to add frontcourt depth with Sam Alexis, a 6-foot-9 big who would fit behind Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer center Samet Yigitoglu as the Hoosiers try to get bigger and sturdier under Darian DeVries.
Santa Clara could be looking at another strong run if Elijah Mahi returns. The 6-7 wing averaged 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season, and his presence alongside point guard Sash Gavalyugov, Jake Ensminger, Thierry Darlan and KJ Cochran would mean Herb Sendek brings back five rotation players from a team that earned a No. 10 seed and came an eyelash from knocking off Kentucky in the first round.
Wake Forest’s frontcourt also stands to gain if Justin Abson remains eligible. The former Appalachian State and Georgia big man would immediately help solve a major question for Steve Forbes’ team and looks like the starting center if he gets the green light.
The transfer portal could also get messy. UCF wing Riley Kugel, who averaged 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists for a Knights team that made the 2026 NCAA Tournament, is in the portal and would draw interest from high-major programs if he is eligible.
UCF has a significant hole on the wing, and Johnny Dawkins could even consider bringing him back. With eligibility questions now splitting the pool of five-in-five seniors, Kugel could also wind up filling a need for another team, including LSU, which has several seniors in limbo.
In Other News...
Indianas Big Ten Opener Just Got A Huge Eligibility Twist
The lead-up to Indianas Big Ten opener picked up an unexpected off-field wrinkle this week, as a Monroe Circuit Court judge granted a preliminary injunction that keeps three Hoosier athletes eligible for competition. IU football players Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley are among the athletes covered, along with IU basketball forward Sam Alexis, after the temporary restraining order in the broader lawsuit against the NCAA expired and left them waiting on the next court ruling.
For Indiana football, the timing matters most because the injunction allows Daley and Wyatt to play in the upcoming conference game. The case involves 97 athletes, so the decision reaches beyond Bloomington, but the immediate effect is on a Hoosiers team that suddenly has two more available pieces as it gets ready for league play. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Receivers Delivered In The Win But One Bigger Concern Remains
Indiana football got the kind of result it needed at Memorial Stadium, rolling past Western Kentucky 38-0 while shaking off a sluggish first half with a much sharper finish. The offense leaned on quarterback Josh Hoover, who completed 18 of 24 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and the overall performance review showed a team that settled in as the afternoon went on. For a group that has been looking for steadiness, the second-half response offered a useful reminder that the pieces can fit when the tempo and execution are both there.
The receivers were part of that story, delivering enough to help Indiana turn a tight, uneven start into a comfortable win. Even so, the broader grading of the quarterbacks, backs, line play and defensive front pointed to one larger issue that still lingers beneath the scoreboard. Indiana showed it can overwhelm an opponent once it finds a rhythm, but the more important question is whether it can avoid the kind of early stretch that leaves bigger concerns hanging around for another week. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Got A Defensive Boost With More Uncertainty Ahead
A Monroe County judge has given Indiana a short-term defensive boost, at least for now, by opening the door for Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt to keep playing while a larger fight over NCAA eligibility rules works its way through the courts. The preliminary injunction from judge Kara Krothe applies to 97 student-athletes and temporarily blocks the associations five-for-five rule, which has become a flashpoint because it leaves the 2022 high school class without an extra year of eligibility.
For Indiana, the immediate effect is straightforward: two players who might have been sidelined by the new guidelines are still available as the Hoosiers move through the season. The longer-term picture is less settled, though, because the lawsuit is only beginning and the NCAA is expected to appeal, leaving the status of that rule and the players affected by it very much in play. [Read more 🡒]