2027 NBA Draft: Three Players Who Could Have Breakout Senior Seasons

While the 2026 NBA Draft is this upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday, below we take a look ahead at the 2026-27 college basketball season. Let's take a look at three players who played less than 40% of their team's minutes this past season and could have breakout senior campaigns.

Miro Little, UC Santa Barbara

Feb 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Utah Utes guard Miro Little (1) dribbles against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Little was a talented player at Sunrise Christian alongside Layden Blocker, Scotty Middleton, and Matas Buzelis. At 6-foot-4, he had size and showed slashing and playmaking chops in addition to an ability to attack closeouts. He showed potential as a shooter as well, but the shot itself was not always a fluid energy transfer and the shot prep speed also could improve.

Since then, he's improved each year in college, -- averaging 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game at UC Santa Barbara this past season. Unfortunately he battled through injury towards the end of the season, but could see a breakout season if fully healthy this upcoming year.

He shot 59.6% at the rim (47 attempts), 46.4% on non-rim twos (28 attempts), 33.3% from three (60 attempts), and 82.9% from the free throw line this past season while recording a 22.3 defensive rebound percentage, a 30.5 assist percentage, 2.8 steal percentage, and a 1.6 block percentage.

Abdi Bashir Jr, LSU

Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Abdi Bashir Jr. (1) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-7 guard played two years at Monmouth and then one year at Kansas State, where he averaged 13.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.5 steals in 24.7 minutes per game this past season. He shot 42.9% at the rim (only 14 attempts), 28% on non-rim twos (only 25 attempts), but 44.4% from three (151 attempts | 18.4 three point attempts per 100 possessions), and is a career 83.8% free throw shooter (130 attempts).

His size, shooting ability, and 16.9 assist percentage are all really solid baselines to start from -- if he can showcase any additional NBA-level component of his game besides shooting and/or fulfill a dribble-pass-shoot archetype (which would require more reps at the rim or from the in-between area), Bashir Jr. could be someone to watch next season at LSU.

Braden Huff, Gonzaga

Gonzaga’s Braden Huff, right, reacts as the Bulldogs move ahead of Oregon during the second half of the Northwest Elite Showdown at the Moda Center in Portland Dec. 21, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 6-foot-10 big was en route to a breakout season before his junior campaign was unfortunately cut short due to injury. He was averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.9 stocks per game while shooting 78.1% at the rim (98 attempts), 61.8% on non-rim twos (102 attempts), and 33.3% from three (21 attempts). It should be noted that Huff is only a 60.8% career free throw shooter (143 attempts), however. He also recorded a 12.5 offensive rebound percentage, a 12.3 assist percentage, and a 3.4 stock percentage this past season. Huff is someone to monitor this upcoming season for Gonzaga.

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