sports-college-basketball1.625 min read
UCLA lands Kusturica, eyes 2028 No. 1 pick
2 days ago•Source: Bleacher Report
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2.58 min•1 month ago
Milan Momcilovic Sparks Kentucky's Early Top-20 Leap
Kentucky shot into the preseason Top 25 after Milan Momcilovic committed, with ESPN and other outlets placing UK as high as No. 16–23. Analysts credit Momcilovic’s shooting and spacing for lifting guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, while Malachi Moreno’s return and Ousmane N’Diaye’s presence bolster the roster. Projected starting five: Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Milan Momcilovic, Ousmane N’Diaye, Malachi Moreno. EvanMiya’s analytics also peg Kentucky as a potential top-10 roster with top-16 offense and defense.
33.645 min•1 month ago
Illinois Tops Early 2026-27 Preseason Top 25 After Draft Deadline
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Florida Reclaims No. 1 as 2026-27 Preseason Top 25 Shifts After Draft Withdrawals
SB Nation•1 month ago
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Yessoufou lands at St. John’s as Pitino targets a floor-spacing upgrade with Momcilovic in sights
Bleacher Report•1 month ago
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Returning to Reign: 15 College Stars Picked to Lead the 2026-27 Season
After the NBA draft deadline, 15 top players chose to return to college basketball for the 2026-27 season, reshaping rosters around programs like Duke, Michigan State, Florida, Gonzaga, Arizona, and more. Notable returnees include Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State), Braden Huff (Gonzaga), Flory Bidunga (Louisville), Elliot Cadeau (Michigan), Alex Condon (Florida), Motiejus Krivas (Arizona), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), and Thomas Haugh (Florida), among others, providing veteran leadership and star power as teams pursue deep NCAA runs.
Wade’s LSU Reload Pushes NCAA Rules to the Brink
LSU coach Will Wade is pursuing an aggressive roster build, signing former pro RJ Luis Jr. for the 2026–27 season and reportedly planning a lawsuit to overturn NCAA eligibility rules that bar players who sign NBA contracts from returning to college. The move, along with LSU’s pursuit of other European pros, could prompt scrutiny and potentially upend how eligibility and rosters are handled in the NIL era.
Goodman Takes Aim at Greenberg’s 76-Team Expansion Claim
Jeff Goodman publicly challenged Seth Greenberg’s support for expanding the NCAA Tournament to 76 teams, arguing that Greenberg’s own Hokies tenure—marked by bubble-era near-misses and only one NCAA appearance in his final 17 seasons—undermines the case for expansion. The piece notes the proposal is polarizing and could dilute the magic of March Madness, while mentioning talk of an extra play-in round for 12th-place Big Ten/SEC teams.
Blackwell Cancels Louisville Visit, Eyes Duke After Campus Tour
Wisconsin transfer guard John Blackwell, ranked No. 5 in On3's 2026 Transfer Portal, canceled his Louisville visit after a Monday Duke campus visit, fueling predictions he’ll join the Blue Devils. Duke has already landed Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski and plans to rely on returning guards Cayden Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II, potentially forming a dangerous backcourt. Blackwell, who has one year of eligibility left, averaged 19.1 points per game last season in Wisconsin and accumulated 105 games with 72 starts in three seasons. The NCAA Transfer Portal window runs April 7–21, with athletes not required to commit by the deadline; On3 notes Duke’s No.1 incoming class and other top prospects in the mix.
Vols land four-star forward Chris Washington Jr. to boost 2026 class
Chris Washington Jr., a 6-foot-8, 185-pound four-star forward ranked No. 49 in Rivals’ 2026 class, committed to Tennessee on Thursday after visiting campus, flipping from Alabama. He chose the Vols over Auburn, Ole Miss, Villanova and USC and becomes the fourth member of Tennessee’s 2026 class, joining Ralph Scott, Manny Green and Marquis Clark. The program is also adding transfer portal players to bolster the roster for the 2026-27 season.
Missouri Lands Rugged Transfer Big Jaylen Carey
Missouri announced the commitment of Jaylen Carey, a 6-foot-8 forward and former Tennessee and Vanderbilt player, via the transfer portal. Known for physicality, elite offensive rebounding, and a rim-oriented game, Carey should bolster the Tigers’ frontcourt and rebounding as coach Dennis Gates reshapes the roster.
Tar Heels land Avdalas as Malone makes first transfer splash
UNC secured Virginia Tech’s Neoklis Avdalas, the first transfer addition for new coach Michael Malone. The 6-foot-9 Greek wing averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds last season and flashed a 33-point game vs. Providence, projecting as an oversized guard who can drive and create in ball screens. UNC will weigh keeping Henri Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson as it pursues more perimeter targets while Malone builds his roster.
Michigan basketball kicks off transfer portal chase as roster reshaping begins
As the NCAA transfer portal opens (April 7–21), Michigan is lining up potential additions to replace departures and injured players, with a running list of targets and rumors. Key departures include Yaxel Lendeborg, Roddy Gayle Jr., Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter, and L.J. Cason’s season-long absence. Michigan has already landed J.P. Estrella and remains connected to guards and big men such as Juke Harris, Flory Bidunga, Andrew McKeever, Neoklis Avdalas, Kameron Taylor, John Blackwell and Aiden Sherrell, among others. The tracker updates with visits and shifting interest after Estrella’s commitment, offering a live feed of Michigan’s 2026–27 roster-building landscape.
KU Forward Bryson Tiller Sets Sights on Missouri After Entering Transfer Portal
Kansas freshman Bryson Tiller has entered the transfer portal, with Missouri, Michigan, Arizona and Miami among his top choices. He started 31 games last season for KU, averaging 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, but his late-season production dipped and he was benched in the Big 12 semifinal. Kansas staff had projected NBA potential and wanted more physicality, and Tiller is weighing a move that could land him at a rival such as Missouri.
Friday’s Sweet 16: Four Blue-Blood Showdowns Set Elite Eight Stakes
Friday’s NCAA men’s Sweet 16 features four marquee bets: No. 1 Duke vs No. 5 St. John’s (7:10 p.m. ET) where Duke’s defense aims to slow St. John’s hot shooting; No. 1 Michigan vs No. 4 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET) pitting Michigan’s balanced attack against Alabama’s high-octane scoring; No. 2 UConn vs No. 3 Michigan State (9:45 p.m. ET) a clash of size/experience versus playmaking in East Lansing; and No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 6 Tennessee (10:10 p.m. ET) a potential back-and-forth featuring Tennessee’s offense against Iowa State’s efficiency. Key storylines include injury/status notes (e.g., Duke’s Ngongba and Tennessee’s Joshua Jefferson) and depth rotations, plus up to 23 players from The Athletic’s top 100 prospects potentially suiting up as teams chase a spot in the Elite Eight.