Ranking the Top 10 Centers in Men’s College Basketball for 2026

The countdown to the college basketball season is on, and Sports Illustrated is getting you ready for the new season by ranking the best players at every position heading into 2026–27. From top freshmen to breakout returners and elite transfers, consider this your guide to the best of the best in college hoops this season.

The series concludes today with the centers. We also ranked point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards earlier this week.

1. Motiejus Krivas, Arizona

Krivas has a strong case to be college basketball’s best defender, an elite rim protector who was the anchor of Arizona’s Final Four team a season ago. Arizona had the best effective field goal percentage defense in the country with Krivas on the floor last season. He could be a bigger part of the offense this season with three NBA draft picks departing the program, but is already a highly effective play finisher in pick-and-rolls and out of the dunker spot.

2. Rueben Chinyelu, Florida

The only high-major player in the last 15 years to have a rebounding season like Chinyelu’s 2025–26 was Oscar Tshiebwe. He’s the ultimate dirty-work guy for the Gators’ star-studded frontcourt, a beast on the glass and an elite defensive player whose offensive repertoire has continued to grow. Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon get most of the attention, but you could argue Chinyelu’s impact is actually most important to Florida’s continued dominance.

3. Flory Bidunga, Louisville

Bidunga is one of the more accomplished portal entries of recent years, an elite starting center at blueblood Kansas deciding to pivot and head to Louisville to play for Pat Kelsey. Bidunga’s otherworldly athleticism and lateral quickness for a big makes him one of the nation’s most impactful defenders. The question is whether his offensive game can go to another level, or if the status quo of him as an elite play finisher and occasional post threat is enough for Louisville.

4. Moustapha Thiam, Michigan

A former elite recruit on his third school in three years, Thiam started to really put it all together late last season at Cincinnati. From Feb. 1 on, Thiam averaged 17.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game while shooting 36% from three. Replicate that for an entire season in a much better offense than the one he was playing in with the Bearcats, and Thiam could be the latest Michigan big out of the portal to turn into a first-round draft pick.

5. Matas Vokietaitis, Texas

Vokietaitis is an absolute load to deal with around the rim. He averaged over 15 points per game and led the SEC in free throw attempts a season ago, racking up over seven trips to the line per game. Pair that with his strong work on the glass, and he’s one of the most valuable post presences in the sport. If he can flash increased mobility defensively, look out for him on NBA draft boards.

6. Massamba Diop, Gonzaga

One of the highest-stakes recruiting battles of the portal was the race between Gonzaga and St. John’s for Diop, who had an outstanding first collegiate season at Arizona State. At Gonzaga, he could be next in an incredible lineage of star centers, especially after some added tutelage from Mark Few and staff. At his best, he’s a force as a rim protector and lob threat offensively.

Duke center Patrick Ngongba II blocks the shot of TCU forward Xavier Edmonds during the NCAA tournament. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

7. Patrick Ngongba II, Duke

On a per-minute basis, Ngongba is one of the most productive players in the country. He put up over 10 points and nearly six rebounds per game in under 22 minutes per contest a year ago, and is back for a junior season that could see him take the next step into a superstar. Durability remains a concern, but if he can stay on the floor Ngongba is an incredible weapon in a loaded Duke frontcourt.

8. Najai Hines, UConn

The counting stats don’t jump off the page from Hines’s freshman season at Seton Hall, but analytically he had a monster campaign as an 18-year-old. Now, he steps into a UConn system that has sent multiple bigs to the NBA, and on paper Hines is an outstanding fit. The biggest challenge may well be staying on the floor. Foul trouble plagued him at times with the Pirates, and the way UConn puts its bigs on islands at the rim could leave him exposed to frequent fouling.

9. Malachi Moreno, Kentucky

After testing the NBA draft waters, Moreno returns to Kentucky for his sophomore year with a chance to be one of the sport’s breakout stars in 2026–27. He has highly impressive mobility for a 7-footer and was very good on the boards as a freshman. If he takes the next step with his consistency, he could rapidly emerge as one of the best bigs in the country.

10. Tomislav Ivišić, Illinois

Ivišić regressed some statistically last season, in part due to an injury- and illness-riddled preseason that left him playing his way into game shape throughout the season. Still, his value to Illinois is enormous. Shooting bigs are incredibly valuable, especially with how Illinois wants to play offensively. His role offensively could look more like what it was two years ago without an ultra-high usage ballhandler like Keaton Wagler who everything runs through.

10 more to watch

Somto Cyril, Miami
Jaden Toombs, SMU
Johann Grünloh, Virginia
Oswin Erhunmwunse, Creighton
Sananda Fru, Marquette
Luigi Suigo, Villanova
Pharrel Payne, Maryland
Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
Delrecco Gillespie, Houston
Andrew McKeever, Iowa

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