College basketball returning seniors 2021-22: Best players using free eligibility year

Check out our updated tracker of college basketball seniors using their free eligibility year to return for the 2021-22 season.

The NCAA voted in October to give eligibility relief for winter-sport athletes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21 winter sports seasons have been altered dramatically.

As a result, college basketball seniors are able to return for the 2021-22 season. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors will also be able to use the 2020-21 season as a “free year” that won’t count towards their years of eligibility.

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In what figures to already be an eventful offseason, potential returning seniors will add another element to roster construction.

We’re keeping tabs on all of the top returning seniors in college basketball for the 2021-22 season. Every entry will include a link to the news report and the tracker will be updated as frequently as possible.

Stats are current as of when the players were added to the list.

College basketball returning seniors 2021-22

• Michael Almonacy, guard, Appalachian State — 31.5 mpg; 12.7 ppg; 4.3 rpg; 2.8 apg; 34.5 3P%
• Justin Forrest, guard, Appalachian State — 28.8 mpg; 13.2 ppg; 3.4 rpg; 2.6 apg
• Jair Bolden, guard, Butler — 33.1 mpg; 10.5 ppg; 3.5 rpg; 34.1 3P%
• Bo Hodges, guard, Butler — 28.9 mpg; 8.2 ppg; 6.0 rpg
• Bryce Nze, forward, Butler — 31.1 mpg; 11.4 ppg; 7.7 rpg; 2.1 apg
• Aaron Thompson, guard, Butler — 33.7 mpg; 10.4 ppg; 4.7 apg
• Tank Hemphill, guard, Drake — 27.2 mpg; 14.1 ppg; 6.3 rpg
• Tremell Murphy, forward, Drake — 27.1 mpg; 10.2 ppg; 5.2 rpg
• D’Shawn Schwartz, guard, George Mason (Colorado transfer) — 28.0 mpg; 9.3 ppg; 4.1 rpg
• Jordan Usher, guard, Georgia Tech — 29.5 mpg; 11.6 ppg; 4.2 rpg
• Mitch Lightfoot, forward, Kansas — 10.4 mpg; 3.2 ppg; 2.5 rpg
• Chris Teahan, guard, Kansas — 1.7 mpg; 1.0 ppg; 0.7 rpg
• Mike McGuirl, guard, Kansas State — 34.4 mpg; 11.8 ppg; 3.6 apg
• Eli Scott, forward, Loyola Marymount — 35.6 mpg; 18.0 ppg; 8.2 rpg; 3.6 apg
• Gaige Prim, forward, Missouri State — 29.4 mpg; 16.7 ppg; 9.1 rpg; 3.0 apg
• Thomas Bell, forward, North Texas — 28.0 mpg; 10.4 mpg; 5.9 rpg
• Nate Watson, center, Providence — 32.3 mpg; 16.9 ppg; 6.7 rpg
• Nathan Cayo, forward, Richmond — 30.3 mpg; 12.2 ppg; 4.4 rpg
• Jacob Gilyard, guard, Richmond — 37.7 mpg; 12.3 ppg; 5.0 apg; 3.6 spg
• Grant Golden, forward, Richmond — 27.3 mpg; 12.7 ppg; 3.5 apg
• Javonte Perkins, guard, Saint Louis — 29.9 mpg; 16.9 ppg; 3.8 rpg; 41.9 3P%
• Tommy Kuhse, guard, Saint Mary’s — 35.7 mpg; 12.8 ppg; 5.0 apg; 3.7 rpg
• Demarkus Lampley, guard, Sam Houston State — 29.4 mpg; 14.9 ppg; 3.8 rpg
• Nick Hopkins, guard, Siena — 33.7 mpg; 7.8 ppg; 3.2 rpg; 37.5 3P%
• Hayden Koval, center, UNCG — 19.6 mpg; 7.0 ppg; 3.8 rpg; 2.2 bpg
• Justin Mazzulla, guard, Vermont — 27.5 mpg; 8.3 ppg; 3.8 rpg
• Ben Shungu, guard, Vermont — 29.7 mpg; 10.8 ppg; 4.5 rpg; 3.5 apg
• Storm Murphy, guard, Virginia Tech (Wofford transfer) — 34.4 mpg; 17.8 ppg; 4.3 apg; 40.0 3P%
• Nate Johnson, guard, Xavier — 31.5 mpg; 11.4 ppg; 4.2 rpg; 45.2 3P%
• Paul Scruggs, guard, Xavier — 32.7 mpg; 14.0 ppg; 5.7 apg

Eli Boettger

Heat Check CBB founder, editor

@boettger_eli