The number of eligible big men available for the 2026-27 season is slimmer than ever. However, there are still teams that need depth in the frontcourt. But there’s one way to get a big man, hope someone from the class of 2027 opts to reclassify to play next season.
One player reportedly considering this is Caleb Ourigou, a 6’10 center prospect out of New York. He’s been a strong player on the AAU Circuit this Spring, rising into the top-100 of most recruiting services. Now, as we enter the end of June, his recruitment has heated up, with some notable official visits.
4⭐️ Caleb Ourigou has recently completed visits to Kentucky and UConn and is set to visit BYU and Arkansas in the coming days, he told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) June 24, 2026
The 6-10 center has emerged as one of the top big men in the country and, according to sources, is considered a candidate to… pic.twitter.com/9HJivrQNiJ
With whispers getting louder that he could reclass, Ourigou would be one of the top available bigs for teams, thanks to his strong defensive and rebounding instincts. Here’s a look at the four known teams in the running to land him.
4. Kentucky Wildcats
At one point in the offseason, Kentucky looked like they weren’t going to have much depth at the center spot. But now, with Malachi Moreno returning and Washington transfer Franck Kepnang and Reece Potter coming off a redshirt year, Ourigou would get next to no playing time with the Wildcats. If he waited a year and Moreno goes pro, then it would be a better option. But the other options are much better if freshman PT is a priority.
3. Arkansas Razorbacks
It’s been a slow process for Arkansas in building out its frontcourt. 5-star forward Miikka Murrinenn is on board, while 6’11 international big man Ilia Frolov is the most recent addition. He and returning big man Paulo Semedo are the current centers, while Ourigou would have a chance at getting playing time since the roles wouldn’t be clear until the start of the season. The big concern here is that Coach Calipari could easily over-recruit Ourigou in the following offseason through multiple pipelines.
2. UConn Huskies
The Huskies will have one of the youngest frontcourts in the country next year, led by Seton Hall transfer center Najai Hines. Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay and international freshman Elmir Dzafic will look for backup minutes, with Ourigou potentially as well. This scenario would depend on whether Hines is a pro after next year, but as we’ve seen with Tarris Reed, backups at UConn can step in to key roles the following year.
1. BYU Cougars
Admittedly, there’s a clear gap between the No. 1 spot and the other three. And it’s because the Cougars have struggled all offseason in landing an impact big man, losing reported recruiting battles to UNC, Villanova, and others. TCU transfer Adam Stewart and forward/center Khadim Mboup are the only guys who can play the five-spot, and they have little experience. Neither does Ourigou, but from a talent standpoint, he’d have a good case of starting on Day 1 at this spot and having a large role throughout his college career at BYU.
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