The race for the top small forwards in men’s college basketball for 2026-27 comes with a little bit of everything: a projected lottery talent, a few major transfer swings, and several returning stars who could shape the season from the wing.
At the top of the list is Haugh, whose decision to come back to college despite being viewed as a projected lottery pick sent shockwaves through the sport. It also stands as one of the clearest examples of how NIL has reshaped the college game.
Haugh is back with one thing on his mind: a second national championship in his college career. After last season’s stunning defeat to Iowa, the chance to leave on a high note clearly mattered.
He remains exactly what teams covet at the position - a slashing forward who does a little of everything and impacts both ends.
No. 2 is Stokes, who arrives at Kansas with the kind of reputation that can tilt a season before it starts. He is widely seen as the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft, and Bill Self now gets another elite prospect to mold.
Stokes has already shown he can fill up the box score like few other high-end prospects in recent memory. He’s a bigger ballhandler who thrives in transition, works effectively in pick-and-roll, and dominates the glass.
The question has never been about talent. It has been about maturity, after a winding path through multiple high schools.
Kansas may be the ideal place for him to settle in and show why scouts have been so bullish for years.
Momcilovic’s move to Kentucky was one of the offseason’s biggest swings, and it gives Mark Pope what could be the best shooter in college basketball. His 48% mark from three last season came on heavy volume, and even if that number drops, the threat alone changes how defenses have to play Kentucky.
He is more than just a catch-and-shoot weapon, too. His midrange game took a step forward last season, especially when he was working off his shot.
Allen could have gone in the first round of this year’s NBA draft, but he is back at Alabama with a bigger role waiting for him. In his sophomore season, he is expected to share primary playmaking duties with returning star Aden Holloway in the backcourt.
That setup in Nate Oats’s fast, wide-open offense should lead to huge numbers. Allen shot 34% from deep as a freshman, and if that climbs, the lottery conversation is very much in play.
Henderson made an immediate impact at Miami, averaging nearly 14 points a game while shooting 57% from the floor. The summer buzz in Coral Gables says he has made real progress as a jump shooter, and that would change everything.
Even without that development, he is already a force at the rim, where he shot 69% and threw down more than 40 dunks as a freshman. If the jumper comes along, he could become one of the sport’s most dangerous offensive players.
Sandfort was the engine behind Nebraska’s best season in school history, and the numbers were outrageous: 129 made threes at a 42% clip. That kind of shooting season belongs in the conversation with the best the Big Ten has ever seen.
Only Carsen Edwards has made more threes in a season, and Edwards did it while shooting just 36% from long range. Sandfort’s gravity opened the floor for everyone else, and he’s the main reason Nebraska fans have real reason to believe another deep NCAA tournament run is possible.
Kharchenkov earned his stripes as an elite role player for Arizona last season, becoming the Wildcats’ best defender and a useful offensive connector. Now he has to shoulder more on offense after so much departed from that Final Four team. Still, he is only 19 and has already flashed more scoring upside in youth competition with the German national team.
Harris put together one of the biggest breakout seasons of 2025-26, emerging as one of the ACC’s top scorers. It would be a surprise if he reaches 20 points per game again at Tennessee, where the roster is loaded with offensive weapons. But that surrounding talent could make him more efficient and help raise his NBA stock over time.
Carr is the kind of player who seems built for the highlight reel. If there were a stat for highlight plays per game, the Michigan State wing would be near the top of the country.
He brings rare athletic juice, soaring for dunks and blocks that spread fast across the internet. His all-around game has improved, but he remains a limited shooter.
As a senior, Michigan State needs another step from him if it wants to stay in the national title picture.
Yessoufou’s scoring at Baylor came in bursts, but it didn’t always translate into winning. A move to St.
John’s and Rick Pitino looks like the right reset for his pro stock. The upside is real: elite two-way tools, big-time defensive potential, and enough physicality and pullup shooting to become a dangerous scorer.
Playing alongside a high-level point guard like Quinn Ellis should help him, too.
In Other News...
Kentucky Now Has A Rival Problem In This Key Transfer Battle
Mark Pope and Kentucky basketball have moved quickly into the market for Michigan State fifth-year transfer Jaxon Kohler, a name that gained extra importance once updated eligibility rules opened the door for another round of transfer movement. For Kentucky, the appeal is straightforward: Kohler is the kind of experienced frontcourt option who can matter well beyond the immediate roster shuffle and into the 2026-27 picture.
The Wildcats are not alone in seeing that value, though. BYU and Kansas have been circling too, and the recruitment has now taken on a more crowded feel as the battle sharpens around a player who fits a lot of programs needs. For Kentucky, that means this is no longer just about making an early push, but about holding up in a fight where the competition is likely to stay active right through the finish. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Pope Is Betting Kentucky's New Roster Model Will Pay Off
Kentuckys roster-building operation looks a lot different than the one most fans hear about around college basketball these days, and Mark Pope is making the case that it is by design. Rather than hand the keys to a single general manager, the Wildcats have split the work among four specialists, with Keegan Brown handling data and roster construction, Nick Robinson overseeing salary-cap strategy, Kevin Sergent taking on compliance and legal matters, and Kim Shelton working on NIL and corporate sponsorships.
Pope said the setup is meant to be more collaborative, with assistant coaches also heavily involved in recruiting and roster decisions. In a sport where programs are increasingly trying to centralize power in one front-office voice, Kentucky is betting that a wider table of decision-makers will be the better way to build a roster and keep it aligned. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Pope Sees Early Signs Kentucky Fixed Last Seasons Biggest Issue
Mark Pope is heading into his third season in Lexington with a noticeably brighter outlook, and the early returns around Kentucky suggest why. The coach has talked about a stronger sense of togetherness in the group, and observers around practice have pointed to an environment that feels more upbeat than it did a year ago. For a program that spent plenty of time searching for the right rhythm last season, that kind of tone matters almost as much as the on-court work.
The transfer additions have helped shape that feeling, too, with Milan Momcilovic and Alex Wilkins drawing specific praise from Pope. Momcilovic has shown the kind of confidence needed to take and make big shots, while Wilkins has impressed with improved discipline and a better shooting touch. If Kentucky really has found a way to address the issue that hung over last season, it may start with exactly this blend of buy-in, shot-making and cleaner habits in practice. [Read more 🡒]