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How the Top 2027 NBA Draft Prospects Fared in Their College Debuts

Assessing how some of the top prospects fared in the last few days.

Kansas Jayhawks guard Tyran Stokes (4) drives the ball against Fordham Rams during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas on Nov. 2, 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The college basketball season is officially underway, with almost all of the top 2027 NBA Draft prospects having made their debuts for their respective teams.

The '27 class isn't currently thought of to be as talented as the previous two, though there's still surely to be talent sprinkled through the class as a whole.

Here is how some of the top prospects fared in their college debuts:

Tyran Stokes, Kansas

For now the consensus top player in the class, Kansas wing Tyran Stokes’ debut was solid, albeit not massively flashy in a statistical sense.

He had some rim-rocking dunks, played some up-and-down defense and rebounded well, scoring 15 points on efficient scoring, with seven rebounds and a block to boot.

There’s plenty of room for improvement for the draft’s top prospect, with his bout against Fordham standing as a solid starting point.

Jordan Smith Jr., Arkansas

Arkansas’ guard Jordan Smith Jr. had what was likely the best freshman debut, going for 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting in a beatdown of AR-Pine Bluff.

It wasn’t perfect — marred by four missed free throws and three turnovers — though it’s clear head coach John Calipari has landed another real talent in the backcourt.

Smith also went for four rebounds, three steals and two assists in showing his all-around play.

Caleb Holt, Arizona

Arizona’s five-star wing in Caleb Holt was thrown into the fire in a top-25 matchup, but struggled to make his presence known from a scoring perspective. He shot 2-for-7 overall and failed to hit a 3-pointer, though that isn’t likely to hold through the season.

In the least, Holt played some OK defense and added seven rebounds to go with his seven points, with plenty of season left to score.

Bruce Branch III, BYU

The BYU Cougars logged a big win over a scrappy Ohio State squad, with five-star wing Bruce Branch III playing a decent role across 27 minutes.

He didn’t shoot the ball well, taking 10 shots and failing to hit a 3-pointer for 10 points. Despite that, he did make an impact, grabbing three rebounds, dishing three assists and seeing some timely buckets late.

Honorable mentions:

Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona

Sophomore Arizona wing Ivan Kharchenkov wasn’t necessarily expected to earn top draft pick acclaim this season, likely seen more as a late-lottery or mid-first selection. Though a 38-point opener will certainly do the trick. 

Kharchenkov shot 12-for-20, nabbed 10 rebounds and generally looked a star in Arizona’s loss.

Jason Crowe Jr., Missouri

A known factor as a spark-plug guard, Jason Crowe Jr. lived up to the hype in his debut with Missouri, going for 23 points on 4-for-7 3-point shooting.

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