​The 12 best players that will define the 2026-27 college basketball season originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The college basketball offseason was effectively a nightmare, with eligibility battles continuing right up to tip-off, but there is no doubt the talent level across the country is enormously high.Between fifth-year players taking advantage of the NCAA’s new eligibility rules and talented players who returned for NIL paydays rather than jumping to the NBA, there are a number of big names with major aspirations in 2026-27.There are also a slew of breakout players ready to emerge. Some are obvious, while others will make themselves known as the season plays out.Here are 12 players who will define the 2026-27 college basketball season, from experienced veterans to a 17-year-old freshman.MORE:SN’s preseason Top 25 rankingsThomas Haugh, FloridaYear: SeniorHaugh was one of many Florida standouts to pass on the NBA and return for another season in Gainesville, but he is the centerpiece for the Gators. A likely first-round pick in 2027, Haugh averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season, developing from a weapon off the bench into the focal point of the nation’s most talented frontcourt. Florida’s national championship hopes hinge on Haugh continuing to play like a star. Imagn Images Tyler Tanner, VanderbiltYear: JuniorThe biggest win for any program when the NBA Draft deadline passed in late May was Tanner’s return to Vanderbilt, which gave the Commodores one of the nation’s most prolific scorers for another season. What Vanderbilt can do around Tanner is a question, but the third-year guard was fearless last season with 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 48.5 percent from the field. Vanderbilt might not be the SEC’s best team, but Tanner has a case to be the conference’s best player.Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan StateYear: Fourth-year seniorTom Izzo has never had to fully embrace the transfer portal because Michigan State keeps retaining its top talent. The Spartans convinced Fears to return for a fourth season after his breakthrough year as their floor general, and a Michigan State team that can realistically reach the Final Four runs through him; Fears averaged 15.2 points and 9.4 assists per game last season.Tyran Stokes, KansasYear: FreshmanThe potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft doesn’t come with the kind of buzz Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa did, but he will be one of the most compelling players to watch this season. Stokes put up 15 points and seven rebounds in his Jayhawks debut, despite not taking on the massive role he once expected with multiple fifth-year players joining Kansas. If Stokes develops into the force the Jayhawks believe he can be, he could turn Kansas into a Final Four contender.MORE:Greatest moments in Champions Classic history Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images John Blackwell, DukeYear: