2026-27 Summit League Top 10 Players: Joe Sayler Leads the List
2026-10-27
Joe Sayler leads Mid-Major Hoops’ ranking of the ten best Summit League players entering 2026–27. This is an editorial projection of expected impact, combining verified prior production, likely role and roster fit. It is not a list of the ten highest scoring averages: a Division I reserve, a Division II star and an NAIA player of the year face different transitions.
1. Joe Sayler — South Dakota State
2025–26: South Dakota State — 14.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG; 32 games.
Sayler combines a proven Summit workload with a skill that should remain valuable as his role changes: shooting. He made 41.2% of his threes and can stretch a defense without needing every possession to begin in his hands. The next step is turning the attention he draws into better shots for teammates. That is particularly important with Jesse Van Kalsbeek joining the frontcourt and Trey Buchanan returning from injury. The official preseason player of the year is also MMH’s first choice, with playmaking and defensive growth the main paths to a stronger season.
2. Andy Stefonowicz — North Dakota State
2025–26: North Dakota State — 9.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.8 APG; 35 games.
The Bison’s rebuilding job is less precarious because they return the player who can organize it. Stefonowicz gives a new group a dependable passer and an established understanding of David Richman’s offense. His 37.7% three-point shooting means defenders cannot simply ignore him while covering the transfers, and his free-throw accuracy is useful late in games. MMH values the ability to make several teammates better over a larger scoring average in a less demanding role. A successful season need not mean becoming a high-volume scorer; it means creating efficient possessions while the new rotation settles.
3. Carter Bjerke — St. Thomas
2025–26: St. Thomas — 9.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.2 APG; 34 games.
Bjerke’s influence begins with where opponents must defend him. He made 79 threes at 44.9%, forcing frontcourt defenders to choose between protecting the lane and staying attached to a dangerous shooter. That makes the space around Austin Herro and the new guards more useful. His placement reflects that structural value, not a prediction that he will become a dominant post scorer. Rebounding and defending quicker frontcourts remain important limitations. If St. Thomas continues to create good looks through movement and passing, Bjerke can be one of the league’s most difficult matchup decisions.
4. Connor Dow — Oral Roberts
2025–26: Oral Roberts — 12.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG; 33 games.
Dow is the returning scorer most central to MMH’s Oral Roberts sleeper pick. He already handled a substantial workload, and his value can rise if a deeper roster gives him fewer late-clock rescue possessions. His 33.5% three-point mark leaves room for improvement, but the forecast does not require assuming every missed shot was bad luck. Better decisions about when to shoot, attack or move the ball would make his offensive role more efficient. Pavlovic’s interior passing and Haffner’s shooting offer ways to create that environment. Dow still has to demonstrate the improvement against league defenses.
5. Kalen Garry — South Dakota State
2025–26: South Dakota State — 10.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG; 32 games.
Garry provides the kind of production that keeps a talented backcourt functioning when its primary scorer has a difficult night. His rebounding reduces the burden on the big men, and his passing makes it easier to play Sayler away from the ball. Consistency is the next challenge: reliable shooting and healthier stretches would make his all-around value more visible. MMH puts him ahead of some higher-ceiling newcomers because the role is established and the evidence comes from the league he will play in. He is a connecting piece with a meaningful workload, not merely a secondary scorer.
6. Grant Stubblefield — Omaha
2025–26: Omaha — 9.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.3 APG; 26 games.
Stubblefield’s importance increases as Omaha integrates a new supporting cast. He can help the Mavericks choose when to run and when to use an interior matchup, an especially useful skill if Isaac Ondekane returns healthy. His scoring efficiency and ability to distribute make him a credible foundation even without an elite three-point résumé. The best version of his season would be an offense that produces good shots for several players rather than one that depends on him to win repeated isolations. Health and the developing frontcourt will determine how much his control translates into wins.
7. Jesse Van Kalsbeek — South Dakota State
2025–26: Northwestern College, Iowa (NAIA) — 27.8 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 4.7 APG; 34 games.
The league’s most intriguing newcomer brings outstanding production and the NAIA player-of-the-year award. MMH’s projection values his physical scoring, rebounding and passing more than the temptation to carry a 27.8-point average directly into Division I. Opponents will be longer, stronger and better equipped to take away easy finishes. Even a substantial statistical reduction could leave him valuable if he wins possessions on the glass and gives SDSU a dependable way to attack inside. The uncertainty keeps him below the established Summit guards, but his upside is high enough to change the conference race.
8. Andrew Nagy — North Dakota State
2025–26: Point Loma (NCAA Division II) — 15.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 APG; 31 games.
Nagy offers NDSU an offensive frontcourt piece who can finish efficiently and step outside. His Point Loma performance earned PacWest player-of-the-year honors, and his 36.5% three-point shooting adds a useful dimension to the projected lineup. The main evaluation question is whether his scoring holds up when the interior windows become smaller. Stefonowicz’s passing can help him receive the ball in good positions, while Poom and Tate offer different frontcourt combinations. Nagy does not have to reproduce every lower-division number to justify this ranking; he has to give a rebuilt team a dependable offensive option.
9. Brogan Madson — St. Thomas
2025–26: Sioux Falls (NCAA Division II) — 19.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.0 APG; 30 games.
Madson gives St. Thomas a plausible source of scoring after major perimeter departures. His freshman workload at Sioux Falls suggests he is comfortable being asked to create, rather than merely finish possessions designed for someone else. The important adjustment will be fitting that aggression into Tauer’s passing offense. His 32.2% three-point shooting also cautions against describing him as a finished elite shooter. If he can attack space, draw help and make the next pass, he can contribute even on nights when the jump shot is ordinary. Division I defensive pressure makes the transition meaningful.
10. Luke Winkel — North Dakota
2025–26: St. Cloud State (NCAA Division II) — 18.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.0 APG; 32 games.
Winkel’s expected role gives him a narrow edge for the final spot. North Dakota needs a guard who can create opportunities and manage a substantial share of the offense, and his St. Cloud State season supplies evidence of both scoring and distribution. The step up in competition will test his ability to generate efficient possessions without forcing attempts. Sather can surround him with longer wings and several interior options, but the offense still needs someone to connect those pieces. MMH’s ranking is a bet on responsibility backed by production, with the competitive-level adjustment clearly acknowledged.
Other names in the conversation
Austin Herro’s passing and Marko Pavlovic’s interior production both make them strong candidates to move into this group. Kendall Blue would also merit serious consideration based on his earlier St. Thomas record, but MMH does not place him in the ten while his fifth-year eligibility remains unconfirmed in this audit. Cam Haffner, Vince Buzelis, Carl Daughtery Jr. and Jaylen Smith provide other routes to a much different in-season list.
Sources: supplied Blue Ribbon 2026–27 yearbook, current official player biographies and final 2025–26 statistics. Sayler biography · Stefonowicz biography · Bjerke biography · Dow biography · Garry biography · Stubblefield biography · Van Kalsbeek biography · Nagy biography · Madson biography · Winkel biography.