10 College Basketball Players Poised for Breakout Seasons in 2026, Including 2 Pairs from St. John’s & Kentucky

Every season, a handful of players leap from promising contributors to household names. An expanded role, offseason development, and new opportunities have these 10 players ready to take the next step in 2026-27. Here are the college basketball players you need to keep an eye on heading into the new season this fall.

10. Amare Bynum, Ohio State

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After a promising freshman season, Amare Bynum has the chance to become one of the Big Ten’s top frontcourt players this year. He has the chance to strengthen his NBA Draft stock. At times, Bynum struggled defending quicker players in space and was targeted in certain matchups. Improving his lateral quickness and defensive positioning will be critical if he wants to become a complete two-way player.

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The Big Ten is a physical league, and Bynum needs to come ready this year as a strong player. He possesses great size that will allow him to take this help that’ll benefit the team on both ends of the floor. With an expanded role and additional minutes, he should have more opportunities to impact the game on the glass. Improving his three-point shooting could significantly elevate his NBA outlook.

Modern big men who can stretch the floor create more spacing offensively, making them much more valuable at the next level. A lot of NBA scouts look for bigs who can stretch and space the floor. Bynum shot just 30% from three this past year. Bynum’s first NCAA tournament game reminded fans why they should remember his name. He dropped 12 points while shooting 5-8 from the field with 9 rebounds. He was a crucial piece in that game who helped the Buckeyes stay in the game.

With the departure of Bruce Thornton, Bynum will likely be asked to expand his scoring role. If he can become a more consistent perimeter shooter while continuing to develop defensively. He has the tools to emerge as one of the Big Ten’s breakout players and boost his NBA Draft stock.

9. Alex Wilkins, Kentucky

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Publish date : 2026-09-03 12:49:00

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