With less than a week to go until the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season gets going, let’s take a look at the players who figure to define the sport over the five months to come.
JT Toppin, JR, Texas Tech
A Second Team All-American in 2024-25, Toppin is back for a third season of college basketball after being named Mountain West Player of the Year (at New Mexico) in 2024 and Big 12 Player of the Year (at Texas Tech) in 2025. The do-it-all forward averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last season for a Red Raiders team that was a late second half collapse against Florida away from crashing the Final Four.
Yaxel Lendeborg, SR, Michigan
A double-double machine and defensive stalwart during his time at UAB, Lendeborg is now ready to show the portion of the college basketball world that only pays attention to the major conferences what he’s all about. He ranked third in the country last season in blocks per game, while also leading the Blazers in scoring (17.7), rebounds (11.4) and assists (4.2).
A consensus First Team All-American a year ago, Smith is the rare star senior in college basketball who is about to wrap up a four-year career with all four seasons spent at the same school. He averaged a career-best 15.8 points and 8.7 assists per game (2nd best in the country) last season as he helped Purdue make the Sweet 16. He played the fourth-most minutes of any player in the sport last season, and led the country with a 44.1 percent assist rate.
Darryn Peterson, FR, Kansas
The 2025 freshman class is widely believed to be the best in some time to enter the world of college basketball, and Peterson is the best of the best. Kansas head coach Bill Self is on the record as saying that Peterson is the best freshman he’s ever recruited, and that he’ll ask more of Peterson than any first year Jayhawk to come before him. Considering the source and the program, that’s ridiculously high praise for the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The 2025 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, Dent arrives in Westwood after averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game last season at New Mexico. At UCLA, Mick Cronin figures to give Dent the keys to what should be a lethal offense.
Likely the most recognizable face from the highly acclaimed recruiting class of 2025, Dybantsa is the biggest reason this is being referred to as “the most anticipated season in BYU basketball history.” The 6’10 forward can do virtually everything on the court, and Cougars head coach Kevin Young figures to give Dybantsa the freedom to do pretty much all those things.
A do-it-all guard who nearly helped lead the Cougars to the first national title in program history last season, expect Uzan to become the focal point of a Houston program that just refuses to win fewer than 30 games under Kelvin Sampson. Uzan is a menace defensively, had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, and shot 42.8 percent from three.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, SR, Purdue
Braden Smith might be the face of Purdue basketball, but it’s Trey Kaufman-Renn who led the team in scoring (20.1 PPG), rebounding (6.5 RPG) and field goal percentage (59.5%) last season. If Purdue is as good as their preseason accolades indicate they should be, then Kaufman-Renn will have no trouble getting his flowers from the national media this season.
PJ Haggerty, SR, Kansas State
The only returning player in college basketball who has averaged more than 21.0 ppg in each of the last two seasons, Haggerty takes his game to the Little Apply after an … interesting? … offseason that saw him surprise many people by leaving Memphis for a different college program. His 21.7 ppg average for the Tigers last season was the third-best in the country.
Tahaad Pettiford, SO, Auburn
There might not be a more entertaining player in the sport to watch this season than Pettiford, who was instant offense off the bench for Auburn in his freshman season. He averaged 11.6 ppg for the season, but scored 20+ in two of the Tigers’ victories en route to the Final Four. New AU head coach Steven Pearl figures to lean heavily on Pettiford’s offensive brilliance in 2025-26.
He made the jump from D-II to D-I with no issue last season, and now Bennett Stirtz is looking to make the mid-major to power conference leap look just as effortless. The 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Stirtz averaged 19.2 ppg and shot a hair under 40.0 percent from three last season for Drake.
Labaron Philon, SO, Alabama
Widely considered to be the most NBA-ready player on Nate Oats’ team last season, Philon shocked most college basketball fans when he announced he’d be returning to Tuscaloosa for at least one more season. The supremely gifted guard averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. Don’t be surprised if he is the “surprise” SEC Player of the Year.
He won’t be Cooper Flagg, but he doesn’t need to be. With his outside shooting ability, strong 6’9 frame and innate gift for getting to rebounds before anyone else, Cameron Boozer will be a double-double machine this season in Durham.
Darrion Williams, SR, NC State
The preseason ACC Player of the Year, Williams’ vast skillset was on full display during Texas Tech’s march to the Elite Eight last season. He averaged 15.1 PPG and 3.6 APG for the Red Raiders last season, and figures to be put in a position to post even better numbers under new NC State head coach Will Wade in 2025-26.
After a one-year hiatus, UConn should be right back to its typical status of “top-tier national title contender” in 2025-26, and Ball figures to be the biggest reason why. The 6’4 wing averaged 14.4 ppg last season and led the Big East in three-point shooting percentage at 41.4%.
Preseason Player of the Year
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
