Andy Katz places three SEC players among top 10 freshmen in college basketball
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Andy Katz on Tuesday released his top 10 freshmen in college basketball for the 2026-27 season. Three of those players will suit up for SEC programs.
At the top of Katz’s list: Arkansas freshman Jordan Smith Jr. The Razorbacks’ shooting guard, the national player of the year and a McDonald’s All-American, was the No. 2 recruit from the class of 2026 when he signed with John Calipari’s program. After Darius Acuff went one-and-done in 2025-26, there’s a good chance the Northern Virginia product will follow in his footsteps and spend a year in Fayetteville before heading to the NBA.
Calipari pulled in another top prospect in Abdou Toure, No. 9 on Katz’s list. The small forward, a New Haven, Conn. product, was ranked No. 14 nationally.
One other SEC player made Katz’s top 10 at No. 7. That’s Mizzou‘s Jason Crowe Jr., the No. 7 recruit in the 2026 class and the McDonald’s All-American co-MVP.
We’ll get the opportunity to see Smith and Toure go up against Crowe on Jan. 9, when the Tigers host the Razorbacks at Mizzou Arena. Arkansas will face Arizona in Phoenix on Dec. 19, where the Hogs will go up against Caleb Holt, the No. 5-ranked freshman on Katz’s list.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
