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1. Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who plays harder on a play-to-play basis than Ejiofor, who was a one-man wrecking crew in the St. John’s frontcourt a season ago. The former top-50 recruit exploded in his first season as a full-time starter and was a huge reason for Rick Pitino’s team’s growth into a title contender. If he takes another jump this year, watch out.
2. Nate Bittle, Oregon
Bittle feels like he has been in college basketball forever, but finally put it all together last season en route to averaging 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game. He’s outstanding at using his size and length to deter shots at the rim, and offensively his ability to stretch the floor creates tons of mismatches for the Ducks.
3. Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
The 7' 1" Ivisic was awesome in his first season of college hoops, and buzz out of Champaign, Ill., is that he has made a significant leap entering Year 2. While not the physical post-scoring five Illinois once had in Kofi Cockburn, Ivisic presents plenty of problems for opposing defenses. He’s an elite pick-and-pop threat and showed some serious flashes as a passer from the high post last season. Expect him to be among the Big Ten’s best in 2025–26.
Ike has posted nearly identical numbers across two seasons in Spokane, averaging around 17 points and seven rebounds per game while building a reputation for being one of the most effective low-post threats in college basketball. While not a great defender, Ike is one of the few bigs in the country capable of shouldering the level of usage he has consistently taken on at Gonzaga, and he should be in for another big year as a senior.
5. Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
Quaintance played all of last season at Arizona State as a 17-year-old and made a major impact, especially on the defensive end. Now, he makes the move to Kentucky, where he’ll be a centerpiece of a team with national title aspirations once he gets fully cleared from the ACL tear he suffered late last season. If he’s at full strength, he can be a game-changer with his ability to protect the rim.
6. Flory Bidunga, Kansas
A former five-star recruit, Bidunga seems primed to explode as a sophomore taking over for Hunter Dickinson as the starting center at Kansas. He’s not your traditional Kansas center, lacking some of the usual post-scoring skill that Bill Self has traditionally valued. That said, Bidunga is a pogo-stick athlete who is elite at protecting the rim and should be a huge asset as a lob target for Darryn Peterson.
7. Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Johnson absolutely flies around when he’s on the floor, leveraging his elite athleticism and mobility to wreak havoc on the game. He quickly became an indispensable piece for Illinois in Big Ten play last season before a wrist injury slowed him down the stretch, and he continued that momentum in the summer by making the USA U-19 team and performing well at the World Cup.
Reed had a career year last season after transferring from Michigan to UConn and has a chance to see his numbers skyrocket this season as the clear starter at center. He was top five nationally in offensive rebound rate, top 15 on the defensive glass and was highly effective protecting the rim as well. He could be a double-double machine with more minutes in 2025–26.
9. Henri Veesaar, North Carolina
Veesaar was exactly what North Carolina needed in the transfer portal, a highly skilled 7-footer who was a key part of Arizona’s late-season surge a year ago. He’s excellent as a short-roll playmaker and has the size and length to be a lob threat in more traditional ball-screen offense, and he even flashed some pick-and-pop ability at times a year ago. If North Carolina bounces back from last season’s disappointment, Veesaar will likely have had his fingerprints all over their success.
10. Hannes Steinbach, Washington
Steinbach is among the best international prospects making the move to college hoops this season, a beast on the boards with significant experience playing a key role in the top division in Germany this past year. He averaged nine points and seven rebounds per game for Würzburg this season, then followed that up with a monster showing at the FIBA U-19 World Cup. Defense could be a concern, but he should be one of the most productive freshman bigs in the sport this season.
11. Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
Winter is primed for a big junior season taking over full-time starting center duties from the graduated Steven Crowl. He’s a high-upside big who made big strides a year ago in his first year as a starter, averaging better than nine points and nearly six rebounds per game in just 21 minutes per contest. If his three-point shot continues to develop, don’t be surprised if he starts popping up on NBA radars.
12. Magoon Gwath, San Diego State
Gwath is a unicorn of sorts, a 7-footer who ranked in the top five nationally in block rate on one end and shot 37% from three (albeit on limited volume) on the other. His development curve has been rapid for someone who was incredibly raw and little-known nationally when he enrolled at San Diego State two years ago, and another summer in the weight room could pay big dividends.
Mast was a massive needle-mover for Nebraska in 2023–24, leading the Huskers in rebounds and assists while finishing third in points per game. After sitting out last season recovering from major knee surgery, he’s back and a big reason why Nebraska should have NCAA tournament aspirations. A healthier, more mobile Mast is a scary sight for the rest of the Big Ten.
14. Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Perhaps the biggest reason for Florida’s national championship last season was its defensive improvement, going from No. 94 nationally per KenPom in 2023–24 to a top-10 unit in ’24–25. Chinyelu was at the heart of that thanks to his imposing physicality, length and timing around the rim. He’s another guy who’s likely to never be a huge scorer, but his impact on the game is massive.
15. Owen Freeman, Creighton
Offensively, there are very few bigs nationally who can match Freeman’s impact. He’s so gifted at scoring with either hand in the post, is really savvy in ball screens and can make the occasional catch-and-shoot three. The concern is what he gives back on the defensive end, and those questions are magnified given he’s replacing one of the best rim protectors in the country in Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Honorable Mention Felix Okpara, TennesseeMalique Ewin, ArkansasPatrick Ngongba II, DukeMiles Rubin, Loyola ChicagoTobe Awaka, ArizonaAday Mara, MichiganChristoph Tilly, Ohio StateOscar Cluff, PurdueSananda Fru, LouisvilleMoustapha Thiam, Cincinnati