Tiers for '26 prospects

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Good morning! Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily. Today’s edition is written by San Lance. Follow him on X.com/Twitter @slancehoops.

Let’s get to all the news from a long weekend.

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1. Tiering the best class of 2026 prospects

There’s no shortage of class of 2026 storylines. The top of the class lacks its version of Cooper Flagg, AJ Dybantsa or others. Instead, as we’ve discussed before, there’s a lot of players who will likely be in college for multiple seasons.

Sounds great for college fans.

With that in mind, how would the class of ‘26 shake out depending on impact players? Here’s our breakdown:

Tier 1, Lottery Lock: Tyran Stokes (1)

Stokes proved this summer he’s the best prospect in 2026. He had an incredible AAU season with the Oakland Soldiers, averaging an EYBL-leading 25.2 points to go with 12.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He also grabbed a gold medal playing up with Team USA U19 at the FIBA World Cup. Stokes oozes talent and has really worked on his body to become more efficient and fluid in his movements. Whichever school lands him will be getting an instant game changer. Stokes is widely seen as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Tier 2, Lottery Hopefuls: Caleb Holt (2), Jordan Smith Jr. (3)

These two are well-equipped to make instant impacts. And I think their productivity could easily carry them into the 2027 NBA Draft lottery conversation. Both are elite defenders, and those traits won’t only impact college basketball games, but will have NBA scouts salivating. For me, these two are in a league of their own behind Stokes.

Tier 3, Surefire Draft Picks: Anthony Thompson (4), Cameron Williams (5), Baba Oladotun (6)

This tier is all about potential. All three players are long, athletic forwards with 7-foot wingspans who have shown flashes of greatness. Thompson is the most complete player, but both Williams and Oladotun have top-five NBA Draft pick potential. These three are the most intriguing names as far as upside.

Tier 4, One-and-Done Potential: Brandon McCoy (7), Deron Rippey Jr. (8), Dylan Mingo (9), Jason Crowe Jr. (10)

Rippey, Mingo and Crowe Jr. are all true point guards, and all three are being recruited by elite programs to have the ball in their hands from day one. There’s a chance that Crowe Jr., a Missouri commit, leads the Tigers in scoring his freshman season. Mingo and Rippey also will thrive and should have stay/go decisions by the year’s end. McCoy is in the same boat, but I like his potential more as a 6-foot-5 combo guard with a plus wing span.

Tier 5, College Stars: Arafan Diane (11), Bryson Howard (12), Miika Muurinen (13)

These players might stick around college basketball for more than just one season — but all three have NBA potential. Diane is undoubtedly the class’s best big and will be a force. Howard has NBA blood, moves like a guard at 6-foot-8 and can really shoot. Muurinen is as explosive power forward. Each have the potential to be fan favorites.

Tier 6, Impact Starters: Elijah Williams (14), JJ Andrews (15), Jaxon Richardson (16), Cole Cloer (17)

In this tier we have two commits: Williams to Baylor and Andrews to Arkansas. I’d expect both to start right away on the wing. While Richardson and Cloer haven’t chosen a program yet, expect the same for them. Williams, Andrews and Cloer are all some of the best bucket getters, and it’s hard to deny the NBA bloodline and potential of Richardson. I expect him to continue to take leaps before his college debut.

Tier 7, Starters: Christian Collins (18), Tajh Ariza (19)

As natives of Los Angeles, Collins and Ariza both stand above 6-foot-10 and have 5-star tools. They’re long-armed, athletic and have a history of family basketball success. They’ve shown flashes of greatness, yet they haven’t put it together on a consistent basis. The potential is there for both to be top-10 picks, and both could start as freshmen.

Tier 8, Potential breakouts: Taylen Kinney (20), Toni Bryant (21), Maximo Adams (22), Caleb Gaskins (23), Qayden Samuels (24), Ikenna Alozie (25)

We won’t go into much detail with this last list, but these players round out my top-25 and will be looking to make an instant impact as freshmen. While they might not be day-one starters, each could help any program win games. With only three of these 25 prospects committed, it’ll be interesting to see where everyone in this class ends up.

2. How have college players fared at EuroBasket?

The 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Tournament started Wednesday. The group phase wraps this week, with the Round of 16 starting Saturday. While NBA players like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and others are stealing the spotlight, there’s a few college players who have gotten some run.

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