High-end freshman talent teemed through the last two NBA draft classes with names like Cooper Flagg in 2025 or AJ Dybantsa at No. 1 this year.The 2027 class lacks that same lofty status.Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s national recruiting director for high school basketball, said it was long clear the past two classes would “be special.” So much so that the NBA recently changed its draft rules due to widespread tanking by teams angling for those top prospects.“Unfairly they’re going to be compared to the last two classes,” Biancardi said of 2027. “That’s never going to be helpful for them because — whether it was a bulk of talent or just tremendous talent at the top — the last two drafts were the best we’ve seen in decades.“So now we look ahead and this class ended up being very good.”One-and-done freshmen claimed 11 of 14 lottery spots (78.6%) in both 2025 and 2026, while NIL rules make it enticing — and lucrative — for prospects to stay longer in college.With that in mind, here’s a look at next summer’s top lottery candidates:
1. Tyran Stokes, KansasThe 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward is a McDonald’s All-American topping recruiting rankings for 247Sports and ESPN. He picked Kansas over Kentucky, with Hall of Fame coach Bill Self calling him “as versatile a youngster that I’ve ever recruited.”
