A handful of players are poised to move from useful pieces to true difference-makers in 2026-27, and the common thread is pretty clear: each one already flashed enough to make the next step feel inevitable.
At Syracuse, Gerry McNamara’s decision to keep Sadiq White around looks like a real win. The 6-foot-9 forward is an explosive athlete with the kind of body that has fit well in Orange history, and after posting 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds as a freshman, he should have a real chance to double those numbers as a sophomore.
VCU has already seen what Nyk Lewis can do when the stage gets bigger. He was central to the Rams’ NCAA Tournament run last March, delivering 17 points and 11 rebounds against Dayton in the Atlantic 10 title game before following that with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals against North Carolina. An ankle injury kept him to just one minute against Illinois in the Round of 32, but he still looks positioned to become one of the Atlantic 10’s best players in 2026-27.
Miami’s answer on the perimeter may be Dante Allen. The Hurricanes need shooting to open things up for Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis and Shelton Henderson, and Allen fits that need.
After averaging 6.6 points as a freshman, the 6-foot-4 guard looks ready to take a major scoring jump. He also showed composure in the NCAA Tournament, scoring nine points and adding five rebounds in Miami’s win over Missouri.
Kansas is waiting on a center to emerge, and Paul Mbiya is the most obvious candidate. Bill Self needs someone to seize that job, especially if Trey Kaufman-Renn doesn’t maintain his eligibility.
The 7-foot, 245-pound big man didn’t do much for most of last season, but in two NCAA Tournament games he averaged 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 14.5 minutes. That kind of production, with a little more responsibility, would work just fine for the Jayhawks.
Tate Sage gave Iowa a real preview of what he can become when the lights get bright. The 6-foot-7 wing was at his best in the NCAA Tournament, putting up 19 points and eight rebounds in a Sweet 16 win over Nebraska, then adding 10 points and three rebounds against Illinois in the Elite Eight. Those games felt like a clear glimpse of 2026-27.
Jackson McAndrew is easy to overlook because foot injury limited him to just four games last season, but Creighton should not lose sight of him. Two years ago, the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds as a freshman, and that kind of skill set gives him All-Big East-caliber upside. He’s a major name to watch as the Bluejays move from Greg McDermott to Alan Huss.
Marquette is expected to be one of the most improved teams in college basketball this season, and Adrien Stephens is a big reason why. While he didn’t have the kind of freshman year Nigel James had, Stephens still brings real upside. After averaging 7.9 points and knocking down 54 threes last season, the 6-4 guard looks ready to become one of the Big East’s better perimeter players in 2026-27.
Tennessee’s biggest question is frontcourt production, and DeWayne Brown is built to help answer it. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, he looks every bit the kind of interior presence Rick Barnes would want. As a freshman, he averaged 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes.
Ole Miss has built a promising perimeter group, and Patton Pinkins is part of the foundation. The son of Ole Miss assistant Al Pinkins averaged 9.3 points per game as a freshman and finished the SEC Tournament by averaging 13 points over the Rebels’ final two games.
A sizable leap seems to be on the way. With Pinkins, Ilias Kamardine and Seton Hall transfer Adam "Budd" Clark, Chris Beard has a backcourt mix that should put Ole Miss in position to get back to the NCAA Tournament in 2027.
Louisville’s Adrian Wooley may not get talked about much, but he matters plenty. He was the only holdover from last season’s team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and after averaging 8.7 points as a reserve behind Mikel Brown, Isaac McKneely and Ryan Conwell, his role should grow sharply. For Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals, Wooley looks like a player who can become a double-figure scorer and make 70 to 80 shots from beyond the arc in 2026-27.
In Other News...
No. 1 Miami Just Sent A Scary Message To Everyone
Miami kept rolling as the No. 1 team in the country, and the balance in its latest win is exactly what has made this start so convincing. Freshman Javian Mallory gave the ground game a real spark with 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Darian Mensah carved up the defense for 387 passing yards and four scores, giving the Hurricanes the kind of layered attack that can stress opponents in more than one way.
The defense matched the offenses urgency, too, with two sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble while keeping the other side under 100 rushing yards. For a team that has looked complete from week to week, the bigger question now is how long this pace can hold, because Miami has started to separate itself in a way that feels less like a hot streak and more like a warning to the rest of the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Gets A Break As Pitt's Backfield Suddenly Changes
Pitts backfield took a hit ahead of its matchup with No. 1 Miami, with JaKyrian Turner ruled out because of a lower-body injury. The update is a notable one for the Hurricanes, even if Turner has been limited to just three games this season and has not been on the field since Oct. 10.
Pitt will have to adjust around Turners absence and lean more heavily on Damon Ferguson Jr. and LaVell Wright to handle the rushing load. For Miami, it changes at least one piece of the scouting report as the Hurricanes prepare for a Panthers offense that has been reshuffled late in the week. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobals Postgame Moment Kept Miamis Feud In The Spotlight
Miamis decisive win over Pitt should have been the nights biggest takeaway, and in many ways it was, but the postgame scene between Mario Cristobal and Pat Narduzzi made sure the earlier back-and-forth between the programs stayed in view. The two coaches exchanged a handshake after the game, a brief moment that carried extra weight after Narduzzis public accusations about Miamis recruiting tactics had already sharpened the edge around this matchup.
The interaction looked tense but still cordial, even if Cristobals gestures were read by some as more forceful than routine. Pitt was already dealing with a quarterback injury that shaped the way the game unfolded, so the result and the atmosphere around it were both lopsided in Miamis favor. Still, with the feud lingering in the background, the postgame exchange added one more layer to a rivalry that has been impossible to separate from the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]