Top players return for college basketball's 2026-27 season

As the 2026-27 college basketball season approaches, standout players such as Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr., Florida's Thomas Haugh, and Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner remain in school, opting out of the NBA Draft. Florida enters the season as the preseason No. 1 team and has three players in the top 20 of CBS Sports' rankings. The NCAA's new eligibility model could allow some athletes from the high school recruiting class of 2022 to pursue a fifth year, pending ongoing legal challenges. The rankings also reflect the complexity of player eligibility, impacting spots for those like former Purdue player Trey Kaufman-Renn, who seeks a sixth year.

• 3:31 PMCBS Sports — College basketball rankings: Top 100 And 1 players who will define the 2026-27 season