Every Big East men's basketball team's most impactful newcomer for 2026-27

The Big East enters 2026-27 with a fascinating mix of established transfers, mid-major stars and international talent. Several teams are counting on newcomers to replace major production, while others are adding pieces that could exponentially change their ceiling.

Butler: Jordan Ellerbee

Ellerbee arrives after a strong freshman season at Florida Gulf Coast, where he averaged 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field and 35% from three. He set an FGCU freshman record with 446 points and earned ASUN All-Freshman Team honors.

Creighton: Wes Enis

Enis led USF in scoring last season, averaging 16.4 points per game while making 107 three-pointers. He earned First Team All-American Conference honors and was the 2026 AAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after helping the Bulls win both the regular-season and tournament titles.

DePaul: Kahmare Holmes

Holmes gives DePaul one of the Big East's most productive mid-major scorers. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists at Wofford, earning First Team All-SoCon honors. He also averaged 2.0 steals and scored at least 20 points 15 times.

Georgetown: Jaland Lowe

Lowe's 2025-26 season at Kentucky was derailed by a shoulder injury, limiting him to nine games and 8.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. But his previous season at Pittsburgh showed what Georgetown is getting: Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists, earning Third Team All-ACC honors. He is seeking a medical redshirt waiver that could give him two additional seasons.

Marquette: Sananda Fru

Fru brings a massive interior presence to Marquette after starting 29 of 35 games at Louisville. He averaged 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, shooting an incredible 75.3% from the field. He ranked sixth in the ACC in blocks per game and recorded four double-doubles.

Providence: Miles Byrd

Byrd is coming off his best season at San Diego State, averaging 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists while earning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors. He is also a two-time All-Mountain West and two-time All-Defensive Team selection. His defensive versatility should immediately strengthen Providence.

Seton Hall: Del Jones

Jones was one of the Big South's top scorers at Radford, averaging 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while starting all 32 games. He shot 41.6% from the field and 80.9% from the free-throw line.

St. John's: Tounde Yessoufou

Yessoufou could be one of the most impactful newcomers in the country. The former Baylor standout averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 steals as a freshman, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors. He also set Baylor freshman records for points and field goals. St. John's landed the No. 4 transfer in 247Sports' rankings.

UConn: Nikolas Khamenia

Khamenia averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist as a freshman at Duke, shooting 44.4% from the field and 34.0% from three. He was a four-star recruit ranked No. 15 nationally by ESPN, giving UConn a former top-20 prospect with a year of high-level experience.

Villanova: Luigi Suigo

Suigo is a unique addition after playing professionally for BC Mega Basket in Serbia. The 7-foot-3 Italian averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 26 ABA League games, then withdrew from the NBA Draft after being invited to the NBA Combine. His international experience and size give Villanova a very different frontcourt option.

Xavier: Tru Washington

Washington brings three years of high-major and Mountain West experience to Xavier. He averaged 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds at Miami last season while ranking fourth in the ACC with 1.8 steals per game. Before that, he earned All-Mountain West honorable mention at New Mexico and helped the Lobos win the 2024-25 conference regular-season championship.