A Wednesday court ruling could reshape college basketball rosters well beyond this season, with Judge Kara Krothe granting a preliminary injunction to nearly 90 college athletes who are seeking a fifth year of eligibility in Indiana's Monroe County Circuit Court.
The biggest names tied to the decision are Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey, Miami's Malik Reneau and Kansas' Tre White, and the NCAA is expected to appeal. If the ruling holds, it opens the door for a wave of notable returns that could change how several teams look in 2026-27.
Lipsey stands out as one of the most important pieces in the group. The three-time All-Big 12 selection is expected to be back at Iowa State, where his presence would patch a major hole for T.J.
Otzelberger. The Cyclones just lost sophomore guard Killyan Toure to a significant shoulder injury that will keep him out until midseason, and Lipsey would help cover for the offense's biggest concern: creating without Joshua Jefferson.
He also reinforces what should already be a strong defensive team. With Lipsey back, Iowa State looks like a top-20 team.
Reneau's return would give Miami a huge boost of its own. He led the Hurricanes in scoring last season, and now the setup is there for him to return to The U.
Pairing the powerful lefty forward with new point guard Acaden Lewis could give Miami one of the ACC's most dangerous scoring duos. Jai Lucas' projected starting five of Lewis, Dante Allen, Shelton Henderson, Reneau and Somto Cyril would be a problem for anyone, and the result is a Miami team that now looks like a top-10 outfit.
Kansas would also benefit from White coming back for a fifth season. The Jayhawks are already built around a top-heavy group, and White adds a seasoned, multi-positional defender who can steady things around likely No. 1 pick Tyran Stokes and Utah transfer Keanu Dawes.
White played the best basketball of his life under Bill Self, posting 13.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and shooting over 40% from 3-point range. A projected starting five of Taylen Kinney, White, Stokes, Dawes and Paul Mbiya would give Kansas more balance, while also taking some pressure off Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr. and sophomore breakout candidate Kohl Rosario.
The ripple effects don't stop there. Wichita State is expected to get star point guard Kenyon Giles back after he averaged 19.1 points and shot over 37% from 3-point range on very high volume. The Shockers won 24 games last season and now look set up to be the American's best team with Giles driving the show.
Indiana would also add important frontcourt depth if Sam Alexis returns. Darian DeVries made it clear he wanted to load up on big men after the Hoosiers were out-physicaled and out-talented last season, and Alexis would fit as the third big behind Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer center Samet Yigitoglu.
Santa Clara has a shot to stay in the at-large conversation with Elijah Mahi back. The 6-7 wing averaged 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season, and his return would help Herb Sendek keep five rotation players from a team that was a No. 10 seed and nearly knocked off Kentucky in the first round. The Broncos already know they will miss Allen Graves and Christian Hammond, but a core of Mahi, point guard Sash Gavalyugov, Jake Ensminger, Thierry Darlan and KJ Cochran would keep plenty intact.
Wake Forest's frontcourt remains a major question, but Justin Abson could help solve a lot of it if he stays eligible. The former Appalachian State and Georgia big man would be in position to start at center for Steve Forbes.
One more name to watch is Riley Kugel, who is in the transfer portal after averaging 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists for UCF, a team that made the 2026 NCAA Tournament. If he's eligible, high-major programs will be involved, and UCF's own wing hole could make a reunion possible. The broader issue is becoming harder to ignore: some five-in-five seniors are eligible and some aren't, and that could leave players like Kugel looking for a new landing spot, possibly at a team such as LSU, which is dealing with multiple seniors in limbo.
In Other News...
Tamin Lipsey Gives Iowa State A Huge Boost With One Catch
Tamin Lipseys path back to Iowa State basketball just got a major lift, at least for now. A Monroe County Circuit Court injunction in Indiana cleared the way for Lipsey and roughly 90 other athletes to receive a fifth year of eligibility, giving the Cyclones guard a potential avenue to return for the 2026-27 season under a challenge to the NCAAs new age-based rule.
For Iowa State, the development matters because Lipsey has been central to the programs recent rise, and any chance to keep that core intact is worth watching closely. The catch is that the NCAA is expected to appeal, so while the ruling opens the door, his status is still far from settled as the legal fight over which 2022 high school graduates qualify continues to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Gets An Early Big 12 Test It Cant Fake
Utah has spent the opening month looking every bit like a Big 12 heavyweight, outscoring its first three opponents by a combined 142-24 and stacking up impressive numbers on both sides of the ball. Now the Utes step into conference play against Iowa State, a team that has built its own early case with strong defensive production and a run game led by its top rusher. It is the kind of league opener that should tell both programs something real about where they stand.
For Iowa State, this is less about surviving an early test than meeting a contender on the same field and finding out whether its defensive foundation can travel. The matchup also carries some added familiarity, with the two programs having a recent history that gives this one a little more edge than a typical opener. Both coaches have already acknowledged the stakes of the moment, and the Cyclones now get a first Big 12 measuring stick they cannot really sidestep. [Read more 🡒]
Arnold Barnes Is Giving Iowa State A New Edge Before Utah
Arnold Barnes III has quickly carved out a niche in Iowa States backfield, giving the Cyclones a more physical option as they head into the Utah game. The Tulane transfer made an impression against Bowling Green, where he found the end zone twice and showed the kind of downhill running that fits what Iowa State wants to establish in its ground game.
Jimmy Rogers has already pointed to Barnes as a player who takes coaching well and brings a tougher edge to the offense, which matters even more as the Cyclones prepare for a matchup where every yard figures to be earned the hard way. Barnes is expected to factor heavily in short-yardage spots, and for Iowa State, that kind of reliability could become one of the more important parts of the game plan. [Read more 🡒]