Top 10 Decisions That Will Shape the 2026–27 College Basketball Season

It’s decision time for many of college basketball’s biggest stars.

The deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft and retain NCAA eligibility is May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET, giving those prospects who are "testing the waters" one final window to return to school after going through the pre-draft process. In the weeks leading up to that deadline, events like the NBA Draft Lottery and NBA Combine will help shape some of the biggest choices of the offseason.

This year, 71 underclassmen declared for the draft, which is a notable drop from 106 a year ago, and part of a steady decline since 2021. The trend is a direct reflection of the new landscape in college basketball, where NIL opportunities have made returning to school a far more viable option.

With that, here are the 10 undecided players whose choices will have the biggest impact on the 2026–27 men’s college basketball season.

10.

Ebuka Okorie

Status: Okorie intends to stay at Stanford if he doesn't remain in the NBA Draft. 

Impact: Okorie was one of the best pure scorers in college basketball this past season, leading the ACC with 23.2 points per game as a freshman. If he returns to college, he’ll look to expand his game beyond scoring and help guide his team to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

The transfer portal has been relatively quiet for Stanford. The Cardinal have not added any players and lost only one key contributor. If Okorie returns, they would largely be running it back after a 20-13 season that ended in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Crown.

9.

Allen Graves

Status: Graves entered the transfer portal and declared for the NBA Draft.

Impact: Graves is seen as a stronger NBA Draft prospect than his production might suggest during