Most of the 2027 NBA Draft conversation is already taking shape around familiar names, but there’s still a pocket of uncertainty in this class. A few prospects are arriving on campus with enough size, tools or pro experience to make scouts lean in, even if the track record is still thin.
One of the more interesting cases is Moustapha Bagayoko, who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft before pulling his name back and heading to Texas Tech for this season. Born in 2006, the 6-foot-10 big man from Mali spent last season with Surne Bilbao Basket in Spain’s top professional basketball league, where he averaged 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 55.7% from the field in 12.7 minutes per game across 31 contests.
Another newcomer worth watching is Joseph Bonke, who made a real jump at Charlotte before transferring to Michigan State this offseason. His 2024-25 stint at Providence barely registered - 105 total minutes and 1.3 points per game - but he looked far more like a prospect with the 49ers, putting up 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, an assist and 1.5 blocks per game. Now listed at 7-foot-2, he’s the kind of player who could draw NBA attention quickly if he handles Big Ten competition.
UNC’s big man, Goffredo Keita, brings a different kind of mystery. The 7-footer from Mali has spent the last two seasons with FC Barcelona in Spain, including time in the EuroLeague alongside Willy Hernangomez and Tomas Satoransky.
In that competition, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 58.3% from the field in 8.7 minutes per game across six games. He also appeared in seven games for FC Barcelona in Liga ACB.
The numbers don’t jump off the page, but the 18-year-old’s reported 7-foot-5 wingspan gives him plenty of room to make noise as a freshman.
Alex Samodurov is another player who already flirted with the 2026 NBA Draft before deciding to return to school. The 6-foot-11 Greek big man averaged 2.6 points per game in the EuroLeague this season for Panathinaikos, a roster that includes Omer Yurtseven, Kenneth Faried, Richaun Holmes, Cedi Osman and Juancho Hernangomez.
Then there’s Damian Suigo, who may be the most likely 2027 NBA Draft name from this group. He declared for the 2026 draft, then chose college basketball and is set for Villanova.
Suigo had already been in first-round conversations, and another strong season could push him right back into that range. The Italian-born prospect played for Mega Superbet in the Adriatic Basketball Association this season and measured 7-foot-2 and three quarters of an inch barefoot at the NBA Combine, with a 7-foot-5 and half an inch wingspan.
In 2025-26, the 19-year-old averaged 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 56.4% from the field and 26.7% from 3-point range in 18 minutes per game across 16 contests.
In Other News...
Joey McGuire Sounds Alarm On A Roster Issue Texas Tech Must Watch
Texas Tech is watching a new roster wrinkle take shape across college football, and Joey McGuire is not pretending it is a small one. The Red Raiders coach addressed the eligibility questions surrounding players who have spent time in professional leagues and are now trying to return to college sports, a trend that has already prompted the Big Ten and SEC to draw firm lines. With the Big 12 expected to follow, it is another reminder that roster building this time of year is becoming as much about rules and rulings as it is about recruiting and development.
McGuire also acknowledged the fight may not stop with conference policies. Legal challenges are expected, which only deepens the uncertainty for programs trying to plan ahead and protect their depth charts. For Texas Tech, the issue is less about one isolated case than the broader instability it could create across the sport, where eligibility battles now have the potential to shape who is available, when, and for how long. [Read more 🡒]
Former FSU QB's Texas Tech Move Says Plenty Right Now
The new 5-for-5 eligibility model has already started reshaping roster plans across college football, and Texas Tech is one of the teams feeling the effects in real time. Thomas Castellanos, the former Florida State quarterback who was granted a temporary restraining order to get back into college football, has committed to the Red Raiders just before their season opener, giving the staff another experienced arm to work with as it tries to settle the quarterback room.
His arrival comes at a useful moment for Texas Tech, which is dealing with injuries and other player absences as game week arrives. Castellanos is expected to be eligible despite taking part in NFL minicamp, and while the move does not answer every question around the depth chart, it gives the Red Raiders a little more insurance at a position where stability can disappear quickly once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Joey McGuire Weighs In On A College Football Loophole Texas Tech Can't Ignore
Texas Tech is paying attention to a new wrinkle in college football roster building, even if it is not jumping into the fray just yet. Joey McGuire said his program is not currently recruiting players who have been in NFL camps, but the Red Raiders are watching the situation closely as more schools explore an emerging path back to college eligibility.
The issue has quickly become a talking point across the sport, with LSU among the programs already signing players who were recently in NFL camps and are pursuing an extra year of college eligibility through lawsuits. It is the kind of loophole that has divided coaches, with McGuire taking a more cautious stance while others, including Lane Kiffin, have been more willing to test the boundaries of the new landscape. [Read more 🡒]