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.
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West Virginias preseason exhibitions have given Ross Hodge a clearer look at how his first Mountaineers rotation might settle in, and the early signs suggest a compact core is already separating itself from the pack. Hodge has leaned on a group he trusts, using the exhibitions to sort through a roster that looks deeper and more versatile than the average preseason group, while also getting a better read on which players can help in meaningful minutes once the games start counting.
Still, the picture is not fully set, because there are players on the edge of the rotation who have at least made the decision more complicated. The Mountaineers have enough pieces to mix and match, and that kind of flexibility can be a strength, but it also means the final pecking order is still being fought over behind the scenes. For a team trying to build identity early, the most interesting question may be less about who starts and more about who earns a lasting role once the roster trims down to its true eight or nine. [Read more 🡒]
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Dioum stayed in the game and still made his presence felt, finishing with seven points, two rebounds and two blocks in seven minutes. Even in a non-competitive setting, Hodge treated the sequence as a reminder that habits count, especially for a group of young bigs learning how to operate within the details. For West Virginia, it was a small moment with a larger purpose, the sort of baseline expectation that can define how the frontcourt develops from here. [Read more 🡒]
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Geimere Latimer has been one of the steadier pieces, piling up a heavy snap load and holding up well overall. But the broader picture still points to a defense that has had trouble finding enough reliable play at safety, and that has left the passing game vulnerable in ways West Virginia could not afford. The question now is not whether the Mountaineers have some individual pieces to build around, but whether the ceiling of the unit is lower than many hoped heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]