Three players expected to be among the best in college basketball during the 2026-27 season will have to wait longer than usual to enter the NBA Draft. In a world of one-and-done freshmen, Duke's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, UCLA's Nikola Kusturica and Texas' Marcus Spears Jr. --- three expected stars this college basketball season --- are in a rare situation: All three must play at least two seasons of college basketball before entering the NBA Draft because of the league's age requirement.

Why can't they enter the upcoming 2027 NBA Draft?

NBA rules state that a player must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft.

• Spears doesn't turn 18 until April 18, 2027
• Kusturica doesn't turn 18 until April 30, 2027
• Boumtje Boumtje, the youngest of the group, doesn't turn 18 until May 30, 2027

Because of this rule, Boumtje Boumtje, Kusturica and Spears will not be eligible for the 2027 NBA draft and must wait until the 2028 draft to enter the league. What makes this situation even more special is that all three have a chance to be really good players in Year 1 and then headline the sport in Year 2.

This not only provides roster stability with incredible talents for Duke, UCLA, and Texas, but also gives college basketball fans a few household names for more than one year.

If Boumtje Boumtje, Kusturica and Spears were eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft, they would compete to go No. 1 overall this summer.

Entering the season, Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes is the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

While the race for the top pick is expected to be competitive like last season's draft that saw AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer compete to go No. 1, this year's class doesn't project to have the true star power like that class did top to bottom. In short: even though the lottery system has changed to the 3-2-1 format, all eyes will be on 2028 when Boumtje Boumtje, Spears and Kusturica are eligible.

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The most recent example? Look no further than Jayden Quaintance in the 2026 draft

Typically, when a player reclassifies to play college basketball a year early, it's to be eligible for the draft the following year. That wasn't the case when former Arizona State and Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance reclassified up to the 2024 class to play college basketball a year early. 

Quaintance averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks during his freshman 2024-25 season at ASU as the youngest player in Division I basketball. Quaintance had surgery on a torn ACL after the season ended and then transferred to Kentucky, where he entered the season as a potential top-10 pick.

However, after playing just four games at Kentucky due to injury, his draft stock took a hit. Still, Quaintance was selected 20th overall by the Spurs despite missing almost the entire season with the Wildcats. Quaintance underwent another knee surgery after the draft, and a timeline to make his NBA debut remains unclear.

Quaintance was one of the most unique transfer portal entrants ever, given his situation. Still, he probably wasn't as good of a prospect as Boumtje Boumtje, who already looks like one of the best two-way players in the sport despite being 17 years old.

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Marcus Spears Jr. was the latest player to reclassify

Spears was ranked as the No. 1 player in the 2027 recruiting class before reclassifying up to the 2026 class and publicly committing to Texas on July 9 (he actually enrolled at Texas days earlier on June 30). He finished as the No. 8 player in the 2026 class. 

The addition of Spears solidified Texas as one of the biggest winners of the offseason after the Longhorns and Coach Sean Miller landed David Punch and Isaiah Johnson from the transfer portal and signed six high school players, including five-star guard Austin Goosby.

Earlier this month, Coach Miller said it would be "too early to tell" if Spears would begin the season as a starter.

Spears' development might take more time, especially if he comes off the bench to begin the season. According to CBS Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein, Spears is a 6-foot-9 wing lefty forward loaded with versatile long-term tools. He's mobile, runs the floor well, and has effortless athleticism. While he's a bouncy finisher around the rim, he also has budding skill with soft natural hands, touch, and developing floor-spacing potential as a shooter.

 Regardless of whether he starts or not, Spears is expected to be a key rotation player for the No. 7 Longhorns this season.

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Boumtje Boumtje and Kusturica waited late in the cycle to sign

Boumtje Boumtje was the first domino to fall earlier this spring when he committed to Duke. Months later, Kusturica signed with UCLA to give the program its best NBA Draft prospect since the Bruins landed Lonzo Ball nearly a decade ago. Both players are considered two of the most prized international prospects in years.

Despite Boumtje Boumtje playing for FC Barcelona the last two seasons, he grew up in the United States before moving to Spain at 14. This summer, Boumtje Boumtje scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 107–81 win over Kusturcia's Serbia squad in the FIBA U17 World Cup final.

Kusturcia scored a tournament-record 37 points in that game against Team USA, but it wasn't enough. He committed to UCLA days after that game, picking the Bruins over Kentucky and Michigan. Boumtje Boumtje and Kusturcia were once teammates at FC Barcelona and could've stayed in Spain another season before coming to the States to play college basketball. However, they decided to enroll in college a year early to face better competition in the United States and make more money before entering the NBA.

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Boumtje Boumtje has gotten significant buzz due to his play in Duke's exhibition opener against Belmont. He finished with a team-high 19 points in 22 minutes and shot 7-of-11 from the field during the Blue Devils' 102-62 win. Boumtje Boumtje is expected to start at the four this season next to veteran center Patrick Ngongba II.

Kusturcia is also projected to start for UCLA. The Bruins have a marquee season-opener against No. 5 Arizona in Las Vegas that will feature a matchup of two of the best first-year players in the sport: Kusturcia and five-star freshman Caleb Holt. Kusturcia showcased his versatility on both ends of the floor during UCLA's exhibition games when he finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists, five steals, two blocks and zero turnovers in 24 minutes against Cal Baptist.

This exact scenario playing out this season could become a trend, driven by five-for-five and the international market in college basketball becoming more robust than ever. Kusturcia, Spears and Boumtje Boumtje are set to be three of the biggest stars in the sport this season. 

The best news of all? College basketball fans will get them for two seasons.