bracketball can now be found across most socials! Find us on Instagram and TikTok under the same handle, @bracketballio. Cheers!

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #10: Tyran Stokes (Kansas, F | Fr.) I like to quote @babcockhoops in these breakdowns, largely because I seem to have a very similar perspective on a lot of these players. I went to start this breakdown with, “Stokes was the top player in his class and it’s easy to see why; he’s a LONG 6’7 245 pound point forward that makes getting to the basket, and the game overall, look incredibly easy.” I then went to Babcock to see what they had to say and it was virtually the same exact start to their scouting report: “Tyran Stokes heads to Kansas as the top-rated prospect in his class, and it's easy to see why. He's a 6'7", 230-pound guard/forward with a reported 7-foot wingspan, plus the kind of physicality, coordination, and overall athleticism you don't usually find on a frame his size. He's explosive vertically and plays with a high motor. Put it together, and you get a big, versatile wing who does a little of everything.” You get the point. Stokes is a wildly talented player who probably needs to mature a little bit. I’m hoping playing under Bill Self will be beneficial to him in that department — I think it will. Stokes doesn’t really have too many weaknesses — perhaps the outside shooting? Which is still pretty good. Outside of that, it’s really just the alleged attitude and maturity, or lack thereof. Either way, Stokes is going to be a really fun player to watch and follow, and the Jayhawks should be right back in the mix this year, especially with TW and TKR gaining eligibility (we’ll see if that lasts). Stokes’ projected line for 2026-27: 15.7 PPG 6.7 RPG 2.5 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 10 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @draftexpress

Uhhhhh 😳

Houston vs. Rutgers may be a sneaky good game… 👀

Need more athletes out there like Kellen. Here’s a list of some others (current) on a similar path — hometown kid choosing and staying at their local, non-blue blood program: Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State) Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State) Evan Ipsaro (Miami OH) Brandon Jennings (VCU) Marcus Hall (Green Bay)

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #11: Thijs De Ridder (Virginia, F | So.) A wing that plays much bigger than 6’9. TDR was one of 3 freshmen 6’9 or taller last year to shoot at least 35% from 3 with an ORB% of at least 9.5%. The other two? Cam Boozer and David Mirkovic. TDR’s return to college automatically makes him one of the best players in the country — he had already earned that label last year. His strong, broad frame allows him to get whatever he wants inside while also stretching the floor at an elite clip. He’s not insanely fast, but quick enough to attack close outs and either run to the rim or bully his way there. He’s also a very capable ball handler who doesn’t need to be open in order to get his shot. He has the ability to create for himself pretty much anywhere on the floor. TDR and Johann Grünloh are going to be one of the most prolific, imposing front courts in the entire nation and the Hoos are going to be right back in the mix as a contender. Expect them to make a deeper run in the big dance this year. De Ridder’s projected line for 2026-27: 20.1 PPG 7.3 RPG 2.1 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 11 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @theACCDN

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #12: Pryce Sandfort (Nebraska, F | Jr.) Pryce Sandfort has made some insane strides over the course of his first 3 years in college. He, of course, started off at Iowa where, as a freshman, he averaged 2.3 ppg on 8.6 mpg. His sophomore year, and Fran McCaffery’s last year with the program, he took a big leap and went for 8.8 ppg on 22.4 mpg. McCaffery was fired after failing to make the tournament two years in a row, and Sandfort left for one of Iowa’s B1G foes — Nebraska — and boy was that a match made in heaven. The Cornhuskers had their best year in the history of the program and Sandfort was the leader of the pack, averaging 18.1 ppg on 33.6 mpg and 41.6% beyond the arc (!). Pryce really was one of the most valuable players in the nation. He was the ONLY player in the ENTIRE nation to shoot above 40% from three on at least 1000 minutes played while boasting a WARP above 8. We’ve touched on WARP in previous breakdowns but just as a refresher, WARP stands for Wins Above Replacement Player It’s one of our favorite @CBBAnalytics metrics and our model favors it heavily when considering how valuable one is to their team. It basically looks to evaluate players in the context of a team made up of them and four completely average players. The performance of this team is then compared to that of a team made up of four average players and one replacement-level player. He also had a RAPM of 8.0 (99th %ile), which is an all-in-one metric developed at CBBAnalytics. It does not incorporate individual box score statistics and only considers their on-court play-by-play impact. Basically, a player’s impact on their team’s point differential per 100 possessions above the division average. He’s a metrics darling, apart from maybe the defensive side of the ball where he’s pretty neutral — although he gets his hands in passing lanes often, and without fouling (96th %ile Steals/PF). Sandfort’s projected line for 2026-27: 21.1 PPG 5.2 RPG 2.5 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 12 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @HuskerMBB

No real complaints here. I might swap Toppin with Krivas but it’s hard to project what type of impact JTT will have this year and what stage of recovery he’s in.

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #13: Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn, G | Jr.) Tahaad, on paper, improved in his sophomore campaign but with where expectations were for Auburn and Pettiford, it’s easy to look at last year as a relatively disappointing campaign. I loved the fact that, despite missing the big dance, Auburn TOOK the NIT bid and ran with it all the way to a chip. And then, they retained two of their best players in Overton and Pettiford! Keyshawn Hall just was not a fit for this team and it’s probably for the best that he’s now out the door. It would have been easy for KO and Haad to look at last year as a failure, skip town and move to other programs, but they didn’t. I have a feeling these guys will be rewarded and Auburn will have a nice bounce-back year. Looking at Haad’s @CBBAnalytics page, one thing I noticed when filtering to Q1 games and “Clutch Time” metrics is that his game elevates SUBSTANTIALLY in big games and in the clutch. He shoots more efficiently, makes a bigger impact on the defensive end and takes care of the ball incredibly well. This is one of those things that was pretty apparent with the eye test too. It felt like every time Auburn had a big conference game, Haad was on one. So where would I like to see Haad improve? Shot selection and stagnancy. TP takes some really difficult shots and can be susceptible to forcing shots that just aren’t there, or part of his repertoire — yet. This played a big part in his lack of efficiency this past year where he shot just about 39% from the field and 29% from 3. I’d also love to see Haad own the floor general role instead of sometimes over-dribbling and stunting the offense. He has the vision and ability to be such a good point guard. If he can average close to 5 assists and limit turnovers, it could totally transform Auburn and turn them into a real contender. Big game and clutch time riser. Pettiford’s projected line for 2026-27: 18.9 PPG 3.3 RPG 4.8 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 13 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @hoopersreligionplus @CBMHoops

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #14: Caleb Holt (Arizona, G | Fr.) Holt comes into Arizona as the #3 player in ESPN’s t100. He’s a 6’5 guard/wing that is physically ready for the next level and has a really polished game. The intangibles are all there: IQ, effort, leadership, toughness, you name it, Caleb has it — and that’s part of why he’s regarded as such a strong prospect. His understanding of the game is clearly so far ahead of many others his age. Despite relatively average positional size, Holt is still physically imposing with a solid, strong frame, almost a 6’10 wingspan and awesome athleticism. Offensively, Holt gets to the rim at will and doesn’t care if that means running through a defender — and then finishes with strength and efficiency at the bucket. Defensively, he’s going to have no problem adjusting. His tools and profile give him the ability to switch onto just about anyone outside the 5, especially given his unparalleled competitiveness. I don’t have too much in terms of stats or metrics for freshmen at this point, but shoutout to @cjhanalytics for getting me averages from 3SSB, World Cups, EUROCAMP, etc. Go give him a follow — he’s put together a seriously impressive analytics site that builds profiles and projections for every player in the country. Holt’s projected line for 2026-27: 15.6 PPG 5.5 RPG 2.5 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 14 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @ontheradarhoops @n8buss

😍😍😍😍😍😍

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #15: Elliot Cadeau (Michigan, G | Jr.) Elliot Cadeau is such a winner — and it’s always been that way. A change of scenery is exactly what he needed after a semi-rocky start to his college career in Chapel Hill. Thanks to @CBBAnalytics awesome new “Season Explorer” tool, I was able to track down some really cool isolating numbers from Cadeau’s first few years playing college ball. Cadeau was 1 of 5 ELITE guards last year with the following metrics: Assists/40 > 8 Ast/Tov Ratio > 2.25 Minutes Played > 1,000 The list? Braden Smith Donovan Dent Jeremy Fears Jr. Silas Demary Jr. ELLIOT CADEAU Oh, and you might notice that Cadeau was the only underclassmen amongst that group of players. I was curious to look at his freshman year metrics as well. Of course the shot was not there yet, but his ability to distribute was still so strong on film — and way ahead of others his age. Sure enough, Cadeau was again part of an elite group. In his freshman year at UNC, Cadeau was 1 of 3 guards to have: Assists/40 > 9 Ast/Tov Ratio > 2.00 Minutes Played > 1,000 The list? Braden Smith Ryan Nembhard ELLIOT CADEAU Once again, the only underclassmen here. Cadeau is such a special distributor, and I imagine his game will continue to transform this year as he takes on more offensive responsibilities and usage. Winner. Cadeau’s projected line for 2026-27: 13.9 PPG 3.2 RPG 7.9 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 15 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @ellio @CBMHoops

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #16: Tounde Yessoufou (St. John’s, G | So.) It’s hard not to see the Ant Edwards resemblance with the way TY moves but it’s unfair to stamp him with that comparison with how good Ant is and how highly touted a prospect he was. With that being said, Yessoufou has the chance to be a really nice pro — he has all the tools. Athleticism, handle, shot mechanics, positional size and length, etc. It’s all there. He does need to work on efficiency and playing within a system which I think will come as he plays under Pitino. I say the handle is there but there’s definitely room for improvement there which is not surprising given his build and proportion. Some interesting CBBAnalytics notes for TY: 8.7 ORB% (97th %ile) 5.3 WARP (96th %ile) Pretty much all of his defensive stats are 90th %ile + Analytically, he’s a beast. I’d actually like to see the usage come down a bit, and I think it will in Pitinoland, but other than that I like how Yessoufou projects. Johnnies are going to be a fun watch this year. Yessoufou’s projected line for 2026-27: 18.1 PPG 5.9 RPG 1.9 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 16 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @swishcultures_

Yes. This is the comparison.

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #17: Braylon Mullins (UConn, G | So.) Mullins tosses it up — OHHHHHHHHH. The hype behind Mullins heading into the 2026-27 season is real in large part because of his tournament run and, more directly, some recency bias but that’s not to say he’s not the real deal. Mullins was an essential part of the Huskies’ success all year last year and was cast into the public eye with their deep run to the chip — and, of course, thanks his ridiculous GW against Duke. Mullins did have a really nice freshman year, but I can’t help but think some recency bias might hurt his case for the ultimate sophomore breakout. Mullins is currently tied for the 5th highest odds to win the Wooden Award and I just simply do not think he’s going to live up to that standard — this year at least. His game reminds me a lot of Tyler Herro. The movement, shot mechanics and the ability to get vertical on the shot, pull-up game are all very similar. With that being said, I can’t yet award him as the creator that Herro is, or even was in college. He relies a lot more on catch and shoot, or attacking close outs and DHOs. Now that’s not entirely Mullins’ fault, it’s really just the nature of the offense that he lives in and the difference in play-style between Calipari teams and Hurley teams but I also believe that’s part of why you see so many Calipari guys excel at the next level — they’re forced to create within Cal’s system, a skill that you NEED to have to make it in the association. I digress. Mullins isn’t going to wow anyone with his run/jump ability on the fast break or at the rim but he actually is pretty springy and quick off the bounce and on defense which projects well. He also moves incredibly well off the ball and is great at getting open awhile tiring out defenders. On the defensive end, get this: Mullins was one of 7 guards in the country, and the ONLY FRESHMAN, to average at least 15 pts/40 with a Block % above 2.5%. His positioning, instincts, timing and help-side defense are all real strong suits and really help his case as a defender. What will Mullins’ sophomore year look like? Does he breakout like everyone’s anticipating? Mullins’ projected line for 2026-27: 15.2 PPG 4.1 RPG 1.9 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 17 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @ndgojordy

Bracketball 2026-27 Top 100 CBB Players #18: Milan Momcilovic (Kentucky, F | Sr.) I don’t think there’s too much explanation I’ll need to do here — particularly on the offensive end of the floor and speaking to Milan’s shooting ability. With that being said, I will use this breakdown to touch on some of Milan’s lesser-known strong suits as well as areas he might be able to improve in this coming year in Lexington. I’ll start with some improvement areas: Milan can definitely improve on the defensive end. He’s typically matched up with an opposing team’s “shooter”, but doesn’t get through screens particularly well. He often has to chase as a result of getting caught in screens due to his relatively slow foot speed. Additionally, as a result of this, he struggles when switched onto quicker guards — just not agile enough. I will give Milan credit for his effort on the defensive end — that is not an issue — and the hope should be that the more he’s exposed to different, and uncomfortable, guarding situations, the more he’s able to adjust. Apart from being a deadeye from the outside, MM also has incredible footwork inside the arc. He can create space and get his shot pretty much whenever he wants, and goes to his Dirk-esque fade when he can’t seem to get by, or break down his defender — and the fade is uber-efficient. He also has a very high basketball IQ which disguises his lack in athleticism on the defensive end, especially in help situations where his instincts really flourish. Indeed, as a result of these instincts and his high BIQ, Milan takes care of the ball very well. He ranked in the 97th %ile in TO%. Curious to see how Pope’s Wildcats fare this coming year. It’s make-or-break for him. Momcilovic’s projected line for 2026-27: 17.7 PPG 3.4 RPG 1.3 APG Projections powered by @CBBAnalytics 18 days until College Basketball. Video Credits to @JustGoBall