NCAAB · 3 months ago

Top 20 Breakout Players in College Basketball Entering the 2025-26 Season

David Connelly

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20. BJ Omot | Minnesota
Even our tapped-in college basketball fans may not recognize this name compared to the others on this list. After smashing expectations at North Dakota for his first two collegiate seasons, BJ Omot joined Mark Madsen and his rebuild at California last offseason. It was a short-lived stint that lasted only four games, cut short by a wrist injury. He now finds himself back in his home state of Minnesota playing for the Golden Gophers. His length, shooting ability, and smooth movement at 6'8" make him an intriguing prospect that could explode if the fight is right here.
1. Flory Bidunga | Kansas
While he didn't see a ton of playing time in his freshman season, Flory Bidunga showed plenty of promise when he was on the court for the Jayhawks. The former five-star recruit led the Big 12 in two-point percentage at a whopping 70 percent, utilizing his size and athleticism to be incredibly efficient around the rim. If he can extend his game a bit further out with a reliable jump shot and work on his ball handling a bit more, we could be in for a serious jump from the Congo native in his sophomore campaign.
2. Ian Jackson | St. John's
Due to the presence of Elliot Cadeau in North Carolina's backcourt last season, Ian Jackson played nearly the entire season as the off-ball guard in the Tar Heel backcourt. St. John's head coach Rick Pitino has gushed over Jackson since he landed with the Red Storm, but he sees his skillset differently and has mentioned that he may utilize him as the team's point guard this season. If that shows itself as a situation where Jackson can flourish, then the sky is the limit for his production in 2025-26.
3. Henri Veesaar | North Carolina
In the latter stages of his second season at Arizona earlier this year, Henri Veesaar was really starting to realize his potential on the court. The big man went from averaging 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds to tallies of 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds on 61.7 percent from the floor from February onward. His finishing and overall offensive skillset have blossomed over the past three seasons with the Wildcats, and he will have the frontcourt to himself to display it at North Carolina next season.
4. Xaivian Lee | Florida
True college basketball junkies will probably say that Xaivian Lee can't qualify as a breakout candidate after dominating the Ivy League with Princeton for the past two seasons, but we believe he could become a household name in 2025-26. After seeing how guards like Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin were able to flourish in Todd Golden's offense at Florida after transferring in, we can only imagine what schemes he will have ready to go in order to utilize Lee's skillset. He is a savvy student of the game with an incredible awareness that should make him the perfect floor general for this offense.
5. Donovan Dent | UCLA
Similar to Lee, most mid-major college basketball fans are already aware of Donovan Dent and his game-breaking ability. After flashing incredible playmaking and leadership in 2023-24, it was clear going into the previous offseason that Dent was some scoring power away from being a serious talent. He worked on just that and led the entire Mountain West in scoring a season ago. With his relentless work ethic and elite talent, the California native has a chance at Big Ten Player of the Year at UCLA in 2025-26.
6. Tyon Grant-Foster | Gonzaga
It was a puzzling and disappointing final season at Grand Canyon for Tyon Grant-Foster, where he faced some academic ineligibility issues to kick off the season and then battled injury throughout the year. He has had a long journey to this point, playing at the J level before dealing with multiple health scares at Kansas and DePaul and ultimately winding up at Grand Canyon. Now he'll call Gonzaga home for his final season, where the Bulldogs could really utilize his length and experience out of the backcourt.
7. Labaron Philon | Alabama
The runway is clear for take-off for Labaron Philon at Alabama in 2025-26. With Mark Sears off to the NBA, we believe Philon is next in line to be the alpha under Nate Oats after a stellar freshman season. His all-around game made for some ludicrous box scores last season, including against Illinois, where he went for 16 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and two steals. His bump in playing time will mean he is surely going to flirt with some triple-doubles throughout the upcoming season.
8. Denzel Aberdeen | Kentucky
Last season, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope referred to former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen as "terrifying". He went out of his way to limit him whenever he came off the bench for the Gators, and now he has him on his side in Lexington. Aberdeen will surely go from sixth man to starting five for the Wildcats this season, and Pope's respect for Aberdeen's game likely means more playing time for the rising senior. If he can maintain his scoring punch with a slightly higher workload in 2025-26, he'll be one to watch in the SEC.
9. Aday Mara | Michigan
Based on what we just saw Michigan head coach Dusty May do with big men Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin last season, we'd be foolish to keep 7'3" center Aday Mara off this list. A very raw project his freshman season at UCLA, the Spaniard seemed much more comfortable as a sophomore last year, nearly doubling all of his meaningful stats and remaining efficient from the floor. If Michigan can find a way to properly utilize his skillset in the paint, Mara could quickly become a dominant force within the Big Ten.
10. Oscar Cluff | Purdue
Oscar Cluff pulled off the rare high, low, high boomerang transfer journey. After starting his Division I career at Washington State, Cluff took to the portal and headed to the mid-major ranks to play for South Dakota State. He dominated the Summit League, making the First-Team All-Summit and averaging a hefty double-double while leading the conference in field goal percentage. Now, he heads to Purdue, a program that has produced some of the best center talent in the country under Matt Painter. Expect him to step right into that role in the frontcourt alongside Trey Kaufman-Renn, creating one of the most dynamic frontcourts in the nation.
11. Milos Uzan | Houston
With LJ Cryer gone, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson is going to need someone new to run the show out of the backcourt. That's where Milos Uzan comes in, a transfer from Oklahoma last offseason who fit in relatively quickly with the Cougars and showed off some elite sharpshooting from beyond the arc. He is set to take on a full workload alongside the aforementioned Emanuel Sharp, and we expect him to take full advantage of the opportunity for the upcoming season.
12. Jaland Lowe | Kentucky
With Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington departing Pittsburgh last offseason, Jaland Lowe had a clear path to become the Panthers’ go-to scorer—and he embraced the role, leading the team with 16.8 points per game. However, as a career sub-40% shooter from the field, he’ll need to improve his efficiency to maintain that kind of workload at Kentucky under Mark Pope. If he can improve that aspect of his game, there is plenty of upside here for him to become one of the national stars of the sport in Lexington.
13. Tahaad Pettiford | Auburn
One of the best guards off the bench in the country last year, Tahaad Pettiford proved to head coach Bruce Pearl and the Auburn fanbase that he is the future of the program. Surrounded by a litany of seniors in the rotation, Pettiford is the only one remaining who knows Pearl's system and principles. We see this as an opportunity for the rising sophomore to become the leader of the program entering the 2025-26 season, where he has already demonstrated that he possesses the skillset to flourish in the SEC.
14. Zuby Ejiofor | St. John's
It may be a little late to the party to call the 2024-25 Big East Most Improved Player a potential breakout star in the making. Still, we believe that St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor even has another gear beyond what he produced last season. He has displayed a genuine bond with head coach Rick Pitino, who has referred to Ejiofor as a "treasure." He is expected to receive loads of playing time in his senior campaign and will continue to dominate the paint in the Big East.
15. Adrian Wooley | Louisville
Adrian Wooley delivered one of the most impressive freshman seasons in the mid-major ranks in 2024-25, lighting up the Atlantic Sun from day one. He led his team in minutes while shooting an outstanding 51.2% from the field, and his impact extended well beyond scoring—averaging 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. With his youth, versatility, and polished all-around game, Wooley brings a sky-high ceiling that new Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey will be eager to unlock.
16. Tamin Lipsey | Iowa State
A two-way workhorse at Iowa State, Tamin Lipsey has become the heartbeat for the Cyclones over the past three seasons. The Ames native is right at home in Hilton Coliseum, having already started over 100 games for the program. He has averaged at least two steals per game in each season, and has shown to be a respectable threat with the ball in his hands. If his offensive skillset can take another step, he could flirt with All-American status in his senior season.
17. Alvaro Folgueiras | Iowa
Alvaro Folgueiras seized the spotlight in the NCAA Tournament, posting a double-double against Alabama in a game Robert Morris led late into the second half. The Spain native brings a versatile offensive game—scoring in the paint while knocking down 41.3% of his threes as a sophomore. His efficiency was unmatched, leading the conference in effective field goal percentage, and he’s poised to deliver that same scoring punch for Iowa in 2025-26.
18. Isaac McKneely | Virginia
Isaac McKneely’s 14.4 points per game may not leap off the page, but within Virginia’s methodical, slow-paced offense, that production is far more impressive. He led the Cavaliers in scoring and was one of only two players to average double figures during a challenging season that followed Tony Bennett’s surprise retirement. A career 42% three-point shooter—and the ACC’s leader from deep last year—McKneely brings elite floor spacing and shotmaking, making him a natural fit for Louisville in 2025-26.
19. Treysen Eaglestaff | West Virginia
Treysen Eaglestaff’s journey is the kind of transfer portal story you rarely see. The 6’6” guard from Bismarck entered college as an unranked, largely unknown prospect, choosing to stay close to home and accept one of just two Division I offers to play at North Dakota. Over three standout seasons, he became a star—highlighted by a 51-point explosion against South Dakota State and a 40-point game versus Alabama. Now, the small-town standout gets his shot on the big stage at West Virginia, where Ross Hodge aims to restore the program’s relevance.
20. BJ Omot | Minnesota
Even our tapped-in college basketball fans may not recognize this name compared to the others on this list. After smashing expectations at North Dakota for his first two collegiate seasons, BJ Omot joined Mark Madsen and his rebuild at California last offseason. It was a short-lived stint that lasted only four games, cut short by a wrist injury. He now finds himself back in his home state of Minnesota playing for the Golden Gophers. His length, shooting ability, and smooth movement at 6'8" make him an intriguing prospect that could explode if the fight is right here.
1. Flory Bidunga | Kansas
While he didn't see a ton of playing time in his freshman season, Flory Bidunga showed plenty of promise when he was on the court for the Jayhawks. The former five-star recruit led the Big 12 in two-point percentage at a whopping 70 percent, utilizing his size and athleticism to be incredibly efficient around the rim. If he can extend his game a bit further out with a reliable jump shot and work on his ball handling a bit more, we could be in for a serious jump from the Congo native in his sophomore campaign.

Top 20 Breakout Players in College Basketball Entering the 2025-26 Season

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