What if I told you the freshman who had the best performance during the opening week of the 2026-27 college basketball season isn't even eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft? Yes, you read that right. In an era of one-and-dones, UCLA's Nikola Kusturica will be the rare player in the sport who plays at least two seasons before entering the draft.

Of course, that's not necessarily by choice. If Kusturica were eligible for this summer's draft, he would have a very strong case to go No. 1. Kusturica, Duke freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Texas' Marcus Spears Jr. won't turn 18 until 2027, meaning they don't meet the draft's age requirement to be eligible for this summer's draft.

It's great news for college basketball fans, but bad news for NBA teams looking to add a foundational piece to their rosters. Last season featured arguably the greatest freshman class in college basketball history, with AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Darius Acuff Jr., Darryn Peterson, and many more making their mark on the sport.

Why Duke's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, UCLA's Nikola Kusturica, Texas' Marcus Spears can't enter 2027 NBA Draft
Cameron Salerno
Why Duke's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, UCLA's Nikola Kusturica, Texas' Marcus Spears can't enter 2027 NBA Draft

This year's class certainly has talent, but expectations should be tempered after last year's greatness. However, after two impressive performances against Arizona and North Florida, Kusturica showed this week why he could be considered the best prospect in the world, regardless of draft class

Let's jump into our rankings and get to our CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week for the 2026-27 college basketball season.

Freshman of the Week: Nikola Kusturica, UCLA

Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the five most impressive freshmen in college basketball. For the 12th season in a row, CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week, we'll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.

After Kusturica finished with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a blowout win over North Florida, UCLA coach Mick Cronin had high praise for his star 17-year-old forward.

"He's a great player," Cronin said. "Not a good player, a great player because he does everything on the court. What I would tell you is he had no turnovers with the ball in his hands all the time, which for a freshman, is unheard of."

What's even more impressive about that stat line is that he recorded zero turnovers against North Florida and Arizona. Even when he's not scoring, Kusturica can impact the game. He finished with three blocks and two steals during UCLA's upset win over Arizona on opening night. UCLA hasn't had a draft prospect of his caliber since Lozno Ball nearly a decade ago.

Frosh Watch: Ranking top five freshmen

1. Nikola Kusturica | F | UCLA

Stats: 19.0 PPG | 5.5 RPG | 2.5 APG 

Kusturica looks extremely comfortable playing college basketball despite being just 17 years old. He's already proven he can make an impact without scoring, but can also put together efficient and productive offensive performances. In UCLA's win over North Florida, Kusturica hit his first nine shots and finished with 29 points in just 26 minutes of action. He went 10-for-12 from the field, 4-for-5 from three, and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. There's a reason why there's significant buzz about Kusturica going No. 1 overall in the 2028 NBA Draft. He already looks like a star.

2. Tyran Stokes | F | Kansas

Stats: 11.5 PPG | 6.0 RPG | 1.5 APG 

Stokes, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, began his college career with 15 points, seven rebounds and a block during a blowout win over Fordham. Stokes has played only 46 minutes in his first two games because both games were blowouts. He will get expanded opportunity when Kansas faces Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday.

3. Miles Sadler | G | West Virginia

Stats: 20.5 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 7.5 APG 

Sadler is already one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball. The 6-foot guard was a preseason Freshman All-American by CBS Sports. The first two games of his college career were why he earned that honor. Sadler scored 25 points in his second college game during a win over Stetson. He also has 15 total assists across his first two games. WVU will go as far as Sadler takes them.

4. Quentin Coleman | G | Illinois

Stats: 16.0 PPG | 6.5 RPG | 4.0 APG 

Last year, it was Keaton Wagler who stole the show and went from unsung recruit to star. While Coleman was a more highly touted prospect coming out of high school, he already looks like a very serious impact player for one of the best teams in the country. Coleman nearly recorded a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists) in just 23 minutes in his college debut. He followed that up by scoring 19 points in just 20 minutes per game. Illinois will once again have one of the best offenses in the country.

5. Jordan Smith Jr. | G | Arkansas

Stats: 19.5 PPG | 3.5 RPG | 2.0 APG 

Smith finished with 19 points, four steals and three assists during a loss to Virginia last weekend. In his college debut, he scored 20 points and recorded three steals. Smith is a very impactful two-way player who looks like the next great John Calipari-coached guard.