Ranking the Top 10 Small Forwards 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 continues today with the small forwards. We also ranked point guards and shooting guards earlier this week.

1. Thomas Haugh, Florida

Haugh returning to college despite being a projected lottery pick sent shockwaves through the sport and is perhaps the most visible example of how NIL has changed college basketball. He’s back with one goal in mind: a second national championship in his college career. The chance to go out on a high note instead of with the sour taste of last season’s shock defeat to Iowa was attractive to Haugh. The slashing forward is such a well-rounded two-way force.

2. Tyran Stokes, Kansas

The presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft, Stokes gives Bill Self another ultra-talented prospect to play with. At his best, he has stuffed the stat sheet as well as any elite prospect in recent memory, dominating the game as a bigger ballhandler who has been unstoppable in transition, capable in pick-and-roll and outstanding on the glass. Maturity issues have lingered as he has bounced around high schools, but Kansas could be the best environment for him to settle down and prove why scouts have been so high on him for several years.

3. Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky

Momcilovic transferring to Kentucky was one of the biggest moves of the offseason, giving Mark Pope arguably the best shooter in college basketball at his disposal. Even if Momcilovic can’t replicate last season’s ridiculous 48% from deep on high volume, the threat he provides from distance should make life easier for the entire Kentucky roster. And Momcilovic isn’t just a shooter, improving his midrange game playing off his shot a season ago.

4. Amari Allen, Alabama

Allen might have been a first-round pick had he stayed in this year’s NBA draft, but instead is back at Alabama with the promise of a more central offensive role in his sophomore campaign. He’s expected to split primary playmaking duties with returning star Aden Holloway in the backcourt, and in Nate Oats’s wide-open offense he should put up monster numbers. Allen shot 34% from deep as a freshman; improving that number could enter him into the lottery pick conversation.

5. Shelton Henderson, Miami

Henderson had a big first season at Miami, averaging nearly 14 points per game and shooting 57% from the floor. The buzz out of Coral Gables this summer has been that he has made real strides as a jump shooter, and if he does he could turn into one of the most dominant offensive players in the sport. He’s already an absolute load going to the rim, shooting 69% at the rim with more than 40 dunks as a freshman. He’s a real candidate to rise NBA draft boards as well.

6. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska

Sandfort was the catalyst of Nebraska’s best season in school history, making 129 threes at a blistering 42% clip. That was arguably the best shooting season in Big Ten history. Only Carsen Edwards (135) has made more threes in a season, but Edwards shot just 36% from distance. Sandfort’s gravity opened up things for the entire Nebraska offense, and he’s the biggest reason Huskers fans should be optimistic about an even deeper NCAA tournament run in the 2026–27 campaign.

Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort reacts in celebration. — Pryce Sandfort was the key to Nebraska’s best season in school history. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

7. Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona

Kharchenkov was an elite role player for Arizona last season, emerging as the Wildcats’ top defender and a valuable connector offensively. He’ll need to take on a bigger role offensively with so much departing from that Final Four squad, but he’s just 19 years old and has shown flashes of being a bigger weapon on that end in youth competition with the German national team.

8. Juke Harris, Tennessee

Few players enjoyed a bigger breakout 2025–26 season than Harris, who exploded into one of the top scorers in the ACC. It’d be surprising if he averages 20 points per game again on a Tennessee team loaded with offensive weapons, but all that talent around him could make him more efficient and improve his NBA outlook long term.

9. Coen Carr, Michigan State

If there were a stat capturing highlight plays per game, Carr would lead the country. The Michigan State wing is an electric athlete, flying high above the rim for dunks and blocks that send the internet ablaze with regularity. He has made steady progress in rounding out his game, but is still a fairly limited shooter. As a senior, Michigan State needs him to take one more leap forward if it wants to be in the national title conversation.

Michigan State forward Coen Carr dribbles the ball. — Coen Carr is electric with high-flying dunks and massive blocks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

10. Tounde Yessoufou, St. John’s

Yessoufou scored in bunches at Baylor, but his impact on winning was muted. Playing for Rick Pitino at St. John’s seems like the perfect place for him to rebuild his pro stock. At his best, Yessoufou has elite two-way potential, with incredible tools on the defensive end and the combination of physicality and pullup shooting to be a dynamic scorer. Playing with a high-level PG like Quinn Ellis should help as well.

10 more to watch

Andrej Stojaković, Illinois
Tate Sage, Iowa
Nikola Kusturica, UCLA
Davis Fogle, Gonzaga
Bruce Branch III, BYU
Anthony Thompson, Ohio State
Kanon Catchings, Georgia
Aiden Tobiason, Syracuse
Billy Richmond, Arkansas
Alijah Arenas, USC

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