Data-Driven Rankings Set Stage for 2026-27 NCAA Season

With the college basketball season approaching, Evan Miyakawa has released a list of the top 30 NCAA players for the 2026-27 campaign. As reported by Sports Illustrated, Miyakawa, who holds a doctorate in statistics, utilized data and analytics to determine the rankings. The methodology accounts for recruiting pedigree, career history, box statistics, and impact on team performance to predict a player's overall value on both ends of the floor.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. claims the top spot on the list. The junior averaged 15.2 points, 9.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game last season, shooting 43.1% from the field and 32.1% from three-point range. Despite measuring 6 feet tall at the 2026 NBA Combine, Fears is viewed as one of the nation's most productive returning players.

Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner is ranked second. An All-SEC honoree, Tanner averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game as a sophomore, shooting 48.5% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc. Tanner, who measured 5-foot-10-and-three-quarters at the NBA Combine, opted to return to Vanderbilt after testing the 2026 NBA Draft waters.

Rounding out the top three is Duke's Patrick Ngongba II. The 6-foot-11, 250-pound junior averaged 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, two assists, and 1.1 blocks per game during a breakout sophomore season, shooting 60.6% from the field. Sports Illustrated notes that while Ngongba faces new competition from teammates like Cameron Williams, he could see increased opportunity following the departure of Cameron Boozer.