The 2027 NBA Draft Preview: The Top Three Prospects From Every Class Heading Into College Basketball Season

The 2027 NBA Draft Preview: The Top Three Prospects From Every Class Heading Into College Basketball Season

The 2027 NBA Draft is coming off back-to-back cycles featuring AJ Dybantsa, Cooper Flagg, Darryn Peterson, and Kon Knueppel at the top of the board, creating an unfair comparison baseline for a class that is still deep and talented despite lacking a clear consensus No. 1 overall. Tyran Stokes, the unanimous No. 1 player in the 2026 recruiting class who committed to Kansas, headlines the freshman group alongside Jordan Smith at Arkansas and Bruce Branch III, while the returnee class is defined by Florida's Thomas Haugh, who would have been a top-20 pick had he not made the unprecedented decision to return to school, and UConn's Braylon Mullins. We break down the top three prospects from every class heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season.

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The 2027 NBA Draft Preview: The Top Three Prospects From Every Class Heading Into College Basketball Season

The 2026 class had generational buzz. The 2027 class has depth, versatility, and one question it cannot escape: how does anyone measure up to AJ Dybantsa, Cooper Flagg, and Darryn Peterson? The answer is that they measure up by being themselves. And these players are very, very good.

The 2026 NBA Draft produced three of the most anticipated picks in the history of the event, with AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 to Washington, Darryn Peterson to Utah at No. 2, and Cameron Boozer to Memphis at No. 3. The 2025 class, by comparison, was headlined by Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. Back-to-back draft cycles of generational talent at the top of the board have created a specific and unfair challenge for the 2027 class: being assessed against the two most hyped consecutive drafts in modern basketball memory. While the 2026 class had generational buzz, 2027 should still be respected entering the college basketball season.

With that context established, here is the early look at the top three prospects from each class heading into the 2026-27 season.

FRESHMEN: Tyran Stokes (Kansas), Jordan Smith (Arkansas), Bruce Branch III

They aren't as hyped as 2026's big three of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, but the trio of Smith, Stokes and Branch will be extremely entertaining to watch. Smith has the chance to join the John Calipari tree of successful guards at both the college and NBA levels. Stokes, the No. 1 player in the 2026 high school class, has the build of a small forward but the skills of a point guard. Rounding out the top three is Branch, and just like his predecessor in Dybantsa, will enter college basketball as one of the best two-way freshmen.

Stokes at Kansas requires no lengthy introduction. The unanimous No. 1 player in the 2026 recruiting class, who averaged 31 points and 13 rebounds as a senior at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, is widely projected as the current No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft. Stokes is clearly the most talented player in the 2026 high school class, a jumbo-sized ballhandler on the wing who can stuff the stat sheet in a variety of ways and is an absolute load in transition. Bill Self called him the most versatile young player he has ever recruited. The Kansas program, built for championship contention around Stokes alongside fellow freshman Taylen Kinney, has one of the highest individual ceilings of any player entering college basketball this season.

Smith, heading to Arkansas under John Calipari, is a 6-foot-3 guard with two-way potential that scouts have been discussing since his EYBL circuit days. He won EYBL MVP with Team Takeover, averaging 19.5 points per game on 56.4 percent shooting. He arrives in Fayetteville with legitimate first-round expectations and the specific pedigree of a Calipari system that has historically developed guard play into professional polish.

SOPHOMORES: Amari Allen (Alabama), Alijah Holloway (Alabama), Kai Yessoufou (St. John's)

With Labaron Philon Jr. gone to the pros, Allen and Aden Holloway will lead the Crimson Tide into 2026-27. Allen, in particular, is due for a breakout sophomore season after averaging 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The 6-foot-8 forward is more of a multi-tool wing, which should entice scouts.

Allen is the sophomore most consistently appearing on early 2027 mock draft boards published since the conclusion of the 2026 draft. His combination of position versatility and two-way production from his freshman year gave evaluators enough to project a significant jump with a full offseason of development and a more prominent role. Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, or Caleb Wilson would be the clear-cut top-ranked prospect in this upcoming class, but they went Nos. 2-4 because AJ Dybantsa was taken off the board first. The point being: had any of those 2026 sophomores stayed in school, Allen would be competing with them for the top of the board. That absence creates an opening.

Kai Yessoufou at St. John's, could polish his weaknesses under Rick Pitino, who helped fix Donovan Mitchell's jump shot, and could potentially do the same with Yessoufou. The Baylor transfer arrives in New York with significant physical tools and a game that evaluators believe has untapped room for refinement.

RETURNERS: Thomas Haugh (Florida), Braylon Mullins (UConn), Patrick Ngongba II (Duke)

The top-ranked returners on the board are Braylon Mullins (UConn) and Thomas Haugh (Florida), who ranked 17th and 13th, respectively, on the 2026 top 100 before deciding to stay in school and not test the draft. Thomas Haugh's return to Florida is, in the assessment of multiple analysts, the most significant retention in the college basketball offseason. Haugh was the best (and most unexpected) retention of the college basketball offseason. He would've very likely been a top 20 pick had he stayed in the draft. It's almost unprecedented for a player of his caliber to return to college basketball and he should be the favorite to win national player of the year.

Mullins at UConn gives the Huskies one of the clearest No. 1 draft pick conversations heading into the season. The UConn system has produced lottery picks with remarkable consistency, and Mullins has the offensive skill set and competitive profile that tends to translate into the professional evaluation environment.

The evolution of the 2027 class over the coming year will be fascinating, and every year, prospects emerge in unexpected places. Every year, players emerge in unexpected places who begin the season as part of the first-round picture only after producing seasons nobody predicted. The 2027 draft may lack the historic top-end buzzword that defined 2025 and 2026. It will not lack for talent, depth, or the individual storylines that make college basketball's evaluation season the most compelling thing in the sport from November through March.

2027 NBA Draft status: no consensus No. 1 overall, considered significantly weaker at the top than 2025 and 2026 classes. Top freshman: Tyran Stokes (Kansas), Jordan Smith (Arkansas), Bruce Branch III. Top sophomores: Amari Allen (Alabama), Alijah Holloway (Alabama), Kai Yessoufou (St. John's). Top returners: Thomas Haugh (Florida, withdrew from 2026 draft where he would have been a top-20 pick), Braylon Mullins (UConn, 17th on 2026 big boards), Patrick Ngongba II (Duke). Draft projected similar in structure to 2024: no clear consensus at No. 1. 2026-27 college basketball season begins November 2026.