Big Ten basketball’s top 40 players for the 2026-27 season: 30-21

Photos from IU's exhibition win at Assembly Hall.

With the start of the season rapidly approaching, UMHoops and Inside the Hall have partnered to bring you our annual preseason breakdown of the top players in the Big Ten for the 14th straight season.

We excluded potential 5-in-5 additions, like Minnesota’s Cade Tyson, because of uncertainty around eligibility and legal processes.

Previously in this series: 40-31

The series is broken into five parts and we continue with our second installment of players 30-21 for the 2026-27 season:

30. Jaylen Petty, UCLA (Guard, 6-foot-1, sophomore)

Petty is a 6-foot-1 guard who averaged 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman at Texas Tech. He arrives in Westwood as an expected backcourt starter next to Trent Perry.

Petty had excellent on/off defensive numbers (5.6 points better per 100 possessions) and is known as a dynamic shooter. He made 69 threes last year at 38 percent, taking two-thirds of his shots from beyond the arc. His perimeter pop should be a welcome addition for a UCLA team that finished 15th in the Big Ten in 3-point volume last season.

29. Jacob Cofie, USC (Forward, 6-foot-10, junior)

Cofie tested the NBA draft waters last spring and performed so well at the NBA G League combine that he earned an invite to the NBA Draft Combine. He eventually opted to return to school, where he’ll anchor a USC frontcourt loaded with talent.

The Seattle native was a bright spot for the Trojans last season as a sophomore, averaging 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots in 30.5 minutes per game. Rim protection is a significant part of Cofie’s game as he ranked third in the conference last season in total blocked shots. He’ll need to be a more consistent finisher this season after shooting just 51.9 percent on 2s last season in Big Ten games.

28. Cooper Koch, Iowa (Forward, 6-foot-8, junior)

Koch, a 6-foot-8 wing, started every game last season for Ben McCollum, averaging 7.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. His 3-point stroke was his primary weapon, knocking down 40.2 percent of his triples and taking nearly three out of every four shots from beyond the arc.

Koch is expected to take a major step forward for the Hawkeyes as they retool their offense without Bennett Stirtz. The major question is whether he can provide more on-ball scoring in a bigger role.

27. C.J. Cox, Purdue (Guard, 6-foot-3, junior)

Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer graduated and it’s now Cox’s turn to run the backcourt in West Lafayette. He excelled in playing a complementary role in his first two seasons, averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 38.2 percent on 3s in 75 games, including 62 starts.

Now he’ll be tasked with taking on a more featured role and will need to prove he can be more of a scorer while also creating for others. Cox should have the ball in his hands more often now that Smith, the Big Ten’s all-time assists leader, has departed. His assist numbers will be worth watching after he totaled only 75 over his first two seasons.

26. KJ Lewis, USC (Guard, 6-foot-4, senior)

Lewis has previous stops at Georgetown and Arizona and is an ideal fit for Eric Musselman’s interchangeable scheme. He’s a quintessential power guard, listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, who is an elite defender and physical specimen.

He finished in the top-25 nationally in steal rate last season and drew 5.2 fouls per 40 minutes. He needs to improve his scoring efficiency, shooting just 46 percent on 2s and 31 percent on 3s as a junior.

Lewis played for a bad Georgetown team last season, but he has experience on winning squads and played a key role on two Sweet Sixteen teams at Arizona.

25. Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA (Forward, 6-foot-8, senior)

Now in his third season at UCLA and his final season of eligibility, Dailey remains a tough matchup for Big Ten teams because of his size and versatility. His 3-point shooting took a step back last season, falling from 37.8 percent as a sophomore to 31.6 percent last season. The rest of his production, however, was right in line with expectations: 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 27.6 minutes per game.

Although he’s not an explosive athlete, Dailey is a versatile defender who can switch and guard multiple positions. He might not have the ceiling of some other players below him on the list, but his floor is a productive starting four for an NCAA tournament team.

24. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Minnesota (Forward, 6-foot-8, senior)

Crocker-Johnson is undersized for a big man, but his versatility was pivotal for the Gophers last season. He averaged 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and can do a bit of everything on the floor. He shot 50 percent on 2s and made 42 3s at 32.3 percent, but he’s also an excellent rebounder and passer in Minnesota’s five-out offense.

The Gophers made an admirable shorthanded run through the Big Ten to reach eight conference wins and should be poised to take a step forward in Niko Medved’s second season.

23. Anthony Thompson, Ohio State (Forward, 6-foot-9, freshman)

Thompson is one of the best incoming freshmen in the conference, finishing 9th nationally in the 247 Sports Composite and earning a place in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The left-handed forward is listed at 6-foot-9 with a high shooting release that’s almost unblockable given his length and size. His wingspan is reportedly well over 7 feet, which allows him to be an impact player defensively, racking up 3.5 combined steals and blocks per game in Adidas 3SSB play on the grassroots circuit.

Thompson’s tools are inarguable – a 6-foot-9 shooter with a 7-foot-3 wingspan is the definition of a pro – but he still has to prove he’s consistent enough to produce nightly in the Big Ten.

22. Markus Burton, Indiana (Guard, 6-foot, senior)

Burton was one of the most statistically productive guards in the ACC over his first two seasons at Notre Dame, but a foot injury derailed his junior season for the Fighting Irish. The Mishawaka, Indiana, native played in just 10 games before undergoing season-ending surgery. He entered the transfer portal last spring and is now the starting point guard for the Hoosiers under second-year coach Darian DeVries.

He fully participated in IU’s offseason workouts and played in the team’s four games at the FISU America Games in Lima, Peru. The key for Burton, who has averaged 19.1 points in 69 career games, will be striking a balance between scoring and playmaking. He’ll be surrounded by a strong supporting cast and a successful season for Burton will be increased assist numbers while continuing to punish teams that choose to defend him with drop coverage.

21. Alijah Arenas, USC (Guard, 6-foot-6, sophomore)

Arenas never expected that he would be on the USC roster for the 2026-27 coming out of high school. One of the top players in the country in the 2025 class, his freshman season for the Trojans saw him play in just 14 games due to injuries, which ended his chance of being a sure-fire first-round NBA draft pick after one season.

While he was productive at times as a freshman – he averaged 14.1 points per game – his efficiency was severely lacking. Arenas shot only 34.1 percent from the field and 21.3 percent on 3-pointers. His talent is undeniable, but his fit in a loaded USC guard rotation that also includes KJ Lewis, Rodney Rice and Christian Collins will be fascinating to watch.

See More: Commentary, 2026-27 Big Ten preview