Entering the 2025-26 college basketball season, the high school class of 2025 was receiving enormous hype. Led by the likes of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, that class didn't just exceed expectations; it went above and beyond. Last year's freshman trio, bolstered by depth that included Caleb Wilson and a cast of star point guards, departed college basketball as one of the greatest collections of first-year talent this sport has ever seen.
Naturally, expectations for classes going forward will be high, but fans should pump the brakes entering the 2026-27 season. While this incoming freshman talent certainly is talented, matching the production of last year's class, which included four freshmen on our 2025-26 CBS Sports All-American First Team, will be difficult. The lone freshman to earn first-team honors on the 2026-27 CBS Sports' All-American team is Stokes, who is also our preseason Freshman of the Year.
Stokes, who finished as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports and is projected to go No. 1 in the 2027 NBA Draft, is the headliner on Bill Self's Kansas squad. Stokes is joined by Arizona's Caleb Holt, Arkansas' Jordan Smith Jr., Duke's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Missouri's Jason Crowe Jr. on the CBS Sports All-Freshman First-Team. The headliner of CBS Sports All-Freshman Second Team is UCLA forward Nikola Kusturica, who represents the program's best NBA Draft prospect since Lonzo Ball.
Also included is Texas' Marcus Spears Jr., who was the top-ranked player in the 2027 recruiting cycle before reclassifying to play college basketball a season early. Note: The 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason All-Freshman Teams were voted on by college basketball reporters at CBS Sports, 247Sports and analysts and on-air talent from CBS and CBS Sports Network. For the second consecutive year, a player not only lands on our preseason All-American team but is also the CBS Sports' preseason Freshman of the Year.
Last season, Darryn Peterson — the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz — earned the honor. This season, it's Stokes, who finished as the top-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. Part of the reason why Stokes is the favorite to go No. 1 in the 2027 NBA Draft is his blend of power and the ability to get downhill and to the rim, which sets him apart as an offensive player.
John Calipari has had his fair share of elite freshman guards throughout his coaching career. Most recently, it was Darius Acuff Jr., who finished as arguably the best first-year guard to play for the Hall of Fame coach and went on to go No. 7 in the 2026 NBA Draft. Smith is up next, as the 6-foot-2 combo guard is a projected top-three pick this summer.
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