2027 NBA Draft: 10 College Prospects Poised to Boost Pro Stock After Returning to School
The 2027 NBA Draft may be 11 months away, but it’s never too early to identify the potential risers in the class before they happen. The 2026 NBA Draft was one of the most anticipated in recent memory due to the blue-chip talent at the top. 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 current favorite to go No. 1 next summer is Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes, who was the top-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports.
Last summer, CBS Sports identified a handful of stock risers, including Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, and Alabama’s Labaron Philon. All three players were selected in the first round. In 2024, I wrote that Collin Murray-Boyles had a strong case to be a lottery pick the following summer after he decided to return to South Carolina. He was selected No. 9 by Toronto and had a standout rookie season.
Who Will Be the Next to Join the List?
The million-dollar question is who will be next to join that list? The 2027 NBA Draft isn’t projected to be as strong as the historic 2026 class, but it could still have impact players throughout the first round. Some of the early names to keep an eye on include UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II, and Alabama’s Amari Allen.
With that said, these 10 players have a chance to improve their stock the most and position themselves as potential first-round picks in the 2027 NBA Draft — if their 2026-27 seasons at the college level go according to plan.
Thomas Haugh: A Potential Top 10 Pick
Thomas Haugh from Florida is 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. Haugh is the ultimate Swiss Army knife who will be the best player on the projected preseason top-ranked team in the sport.
Haugh has a very strong case to be a top 10 pick this summer if he takes another jump in his overall game as the top scoring option on a loaded Gators roster.
Other Notable Players to Watch
- Braylon Mullins: UConn’s guard who should be one of the most recognizable faces in college basketball this season after hitting one of the most clutch shots in NCAA Tournament history against Duke in the Elite Eight.
- Billy Richmond III: Arkansas’ player who waited until the final day of the stay-or-go deadline to announce his return to Arkansas. Richmond is going to be one of the lone veterans in the rotation on a young, but deep Arkansas roster.
- Alijah Arenas: USC’s guard who will be one of the most polarizing prospects in 2027. After missing the start of his freshman season at USC due to a knee injury, he returned for the final 14 games and averaged 14.1 points in 27.6 minutes per game.
- Patrick Ngongba II: Duke’s center who is the most notable name Duke is returning this offseason and was part of several key retentions Jon Scheyer was able to bring back.
- Milan Momcilovic: Kentucky’s guard/forward who was arguably the most high-profile transfer this cycle. After all, how many college basketball players shoot nearly 50% from the 3-point line on over seven attempts per night?
- Amari Allen: Alabama’s guard/forward who has the potential to be a top 10 pick in 2027 if he follows the Labaron Philon blueprint from last season.
- Motiejus Krivas: Arizona’s center who produced career highs in almost every statistical category as the Wildcats reached the Final Four for the first time in 25 years.
- Shelton Henderson: Miami’s forward who was the Hurricanes’ top returning scorer this season after averaging 13.8 points as a freshman.
- Tounde Yessoufou: St. John’s guard/forward who posted good numbers as a freshman at Baylor but elected to return to college basketball for another season to improve his stock.
These 10 players have a chance to improve their stock the most and position themselves as potential first-round picks in the 2027 NBA Draft — if their 2026-27 seasons at the college level go according to plan.
