The Big 12 already has its share of eye-catching returnees, and a few rising sophomores are the kind of names NBA teams will start tracking early for the 2027 draft.
Arizona’s Karim Kharchenkov is one of them. In his freshman season, he helped the Wildcats get to the Final Four while putting up 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
He also shot 49.2% from the field and 31.7% from 3-point range. At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, he’s listed as a wing who should take on a larger role as a sophomore.
If his perimeter shooting tightens up, Kharchenkov has a path to first-round buzz in 2027. His size, versatility and experience as a winning role player could make him the kind of rotation piece NBA teams want.
Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou Mingo brings a different profile. After a freshman year at Penn State in which he averaged 13.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, he transferred to Baylor following the 2025-26 season.
The former four-star recruit will now play with his brother, Dylan Mingo, a five-star recruit in the 2026 cycle. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, his size could raise questions, but his feel for the game gives him a real shot to work his way into the 2027 class.
Like Kharchenkov, he’ll need to become a better 3-point shooter to strengthen that case.
Then there’s Iowa State’s Toure. A regular starter as a freshman, the Cyclones guard averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field and 31.3% from deep.
At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, the French guard already made his mark with defense, and that’s the part of his game NBA scouts are most likely to notice. He navigated screens well, stayed in front of ball handlers and showed up as a disruptive defensive playmaker.
If his offensive role grows and he delivers another strong defensive season, Toure could put himself into the 2027 draft conversation.
In Other News...
Iowa State Freshmen Are Pushing For Snaps In A Crucial Fall Battle
With a new era underway under head coach Jimmy Rogers, Iowa States preseason reps are carrying a little extra weight as the Cyclones sort out who can help right away in 2026. Defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit has already pointed to a handful of newcomers and young defenders who have put themselves in the mix, a sign that the roster turnover and coaching transition are creating real openings for players willing to seize them.
That group includes linebacker Landon Kalsbeck and safeties Matthew McClain and Brady Hummel, all of whom are battling for a path onto the field as the staff searches for dependable depth. Injuries and roster movement have made the competition even more fluid, and for Iowa State, the timing matters - these are the kinds of snaps that can shape how quickly the defense settles in for the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State's New QB Is Earning Praise Before Taking A Snap
Jaylen Raynor arrived in Ames with the kind of resume that gives Iowa State plenty to be interested in before he ever takes a snap. The former Arkansas State quarterback spent three seasons as a starter, then transferred in to become the expected leader of Jimmy Rogers first team, bringing with him a reputation that stretches beyond the pocket thanks to his community work and the leadership that helped land him on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watchlist and as a nominee for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
What makes the early buzz even more notable is the challenge waiting on the field. Raynor is moving from an up-tempo system into a pro-style offense, a transition that asks for a different rhythm and a different feel from the quarterback position. For Iowa State, the early praise is encouraging, but the real question is how quickly he can make the adjustment when the season starts to put the new offense under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Cyclones Land A Full Circle Story Fans Will Appreciate
A recruiting story can take a long and winding route before it lands where it started, and that is exactly what happened for Schlimgen. He first hoped for a scholarship offer from Iowa State as a high school junior, but it never came, so he committed to South Dakota State to play for Jimmy Rogers and Jesse Bobbit before following those coaches to Washington State.
Now the circle is complete. After Matt Campbell left Iowa State, Rogers and Bobbit made their way to Ames as part of the staff, and Schlimgen eventually joined them there, finally reaching the program he had targeted all along. For Cyclones fans, it is the kind of backstory that makes roster additions feel a little more personal, especially when the path to campus has been anything but direct. [Read more 🡒]