College basketball is almost here, and one preseason evaluation is already pointing to where the perimeter firepower lives.
Data analyst Evan Miyakawa put together a list of teams with the highest concentration of elite shooters on their rosters, and a handful of 2027 NBA Draft hopefuls made the cut as “elite shooters” on his ranking.
BYU was at the top of the list with five players included, while several other programs showed up with groups that could matter once the season gets rolling.
Kentucky landed in the third tier with three “elite shooters,” led by Milan Momcilovic. After choosing to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft, Momcilovic transferred from Iowa State to Kentucky and brings a polished résumé with him.
As a junior for the Cyclones, he averaged 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and an assist while shooting 50.6% from the field and 48.7% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game. At the NBA Combine, the All-Big 12 honoree measured 6-foot-8 without shoes, weighed 218 pounds and posted a 6-foot-9-and-a-quarter wingspan.
With that size and shooting touch, Momcilovic could be a first-round pick in the 2027 class.
NC State also checked into the third tier, with sharpshooter Paul McNeil Jr. leading the way. McNeil put up 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds as a sophomore in 2025-26 while shooting 43.3% from the field and 42.7% from 3-point range on 7.9 attempts per game. He’s back for what could be a major junior year, and at 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds, a strong 2026-27 season could push him into the first round of the 2027 draft.
West Virginia sits in the second tier and features four “elite shooters,” including two players who could hear their names called in 2027. Senior guard Finley Bizjack joins the Mountaineers after three seasons at Butler, where he averaged 17.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6% from the field and 34.9% from 3-point range. He’s listed at 6-feet and 170 pounds, and while that size could work against him in NBA evaluations, the skill set gives him a real shot to become a first-round pick.
Wisconsin rounds out the group in the third tier alongside Kentucky and NC State. Eian Elmer arrives after three seasons at Miami (OH) and heads into the 2026-27 season after posting 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a junior, shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from deep. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 222 pounds, Elmer could work his way onto the 2027 NBA Draft board with a strong season in the Big Ten.
In Other News...
NC State Just Got The Recruiting Jolt Fans Feared After Doeren
Dave Doerens firing has already started to ripple through NC States 2027 recruiting class, and the first real sign of turbulence came quickly. Three-star offensive tackle Conner Rutherford backed out of his pledge, a notable hit because he was the fourth-highest-ranked commitment in a class that still sits at 18 verbal pledges, ranked 43rd nationally and 10th in the ACC.
For the Wolfpack, the bigger issue is what happens next. Coaching changes almost always put a class on shaky ground, and this one is no exception, with more decommitments possible as recruits reassess the situation. The speculation around who takes over, including chatter about Philip Rivers, only adds another layer of uncertainty for a class that suddenly looks far less settled than it did just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Coaching Search Just Took A Very Different Turn
NC States coaching search has already moved into unusual territory after the school parted ways with Dave Doeren and is facing an estimated $10 million buyout. With the opening now on the board, the conversation around the job has shifted well beyond the usual list of sitting assistants and coordinators, and Baylors parallel search has only added to the sense that both programs are weighing a different kind of hire as they try to reset.
One idea circulating around the Wolfpacks opening is Philip Rivers, the former NC State star whose name carries obvious weight in Raleigh even without any college head-coaching background. The logic behind a move like that is less about traditional coaching pedigree and more about the modern realities of roster building and fan engagement, where a familiar face can potentially help a school generate the kind of support that matters as much as anything on the field. [Read more 🡒]
CBS Just Gave NC State Fans A Fresh Respect Debate
Matt Norlanders annual Top 101 from CBS Sports has already handed NC State fans a fresh talking point, because the Wolfpack landed at No. 72, a spot that sits well below where several other projection systems see them. With a new coach making the roster harder to read, Norlander acknowledged the uncertainty around this group and pointed to some of the key players in the mix, but his placement still stands out next to the broader industry view.
The gap is what makes this worth watching, especially since CBSs own preseason bracketology has NC State safely in the NCAA tournament field as a 12-seed. When one outlet is projecting the Pack as a March team and another is slotting them much lower than most analytics models, it turns the early season into a built-in respect test, and it also sharpens the contrast with North Carolinas standing in the same conversation. [Read more 🡒]