Marcus Spears Jr. and other sons of famous athletes college basketball fans need to know

The college basketball world received major news on Thursday afternoon, with Marcus Spears Jr., ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2027, reclassifying to the class of 2026 and joining head coach Sean Miller at Texas. He will play two seasons of college basketball before becoming NBA Draft eligible, following in the footsteps of recent top-20 pick Jayden Quaintance, who arrived at Arizona State in 2024 as a 17-year-old.

Arguably the three best prospects for the 2028 draft — Duke commit Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, UCLA commit Nikola Kusturica and Spears — are all signed up for two years of college ball. This is yet another seismic development in the ever-changing NIL landscape.

Who is Marcus Spears Jr.’s father?

Spears, the son of former NFL star and current ESPN broadcaster Marcus Spears Sr., joins a long list of noteworthy college basketball stars whose parent(s) played professional sports. He is also the first cousin once removed of NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.

Texas should expect immediate contributions from the 17-year-old, who presents an intriguing cross-section of athleticism and skill. He’s a smooth lefty shooter who can play above the rim with ease. He loves to run the floor in transition. He also competes extremely hard on defense, with the potential to develop into a formidable weak-side rim protector at 6-foot-9.

He will need to add muscle to his 210-pound frame to better handle the physicality of college basketball (and one day the NBA), but playing two seasons at Texas should give him the perfect extended runway to maximize his potential.

These college basketball stars come from pro sports royalty

Bryce James, Arizona (son of LeBron James)

James redshirted his freshman year at Arizona, watching from a distance as the Wildcats mounted an impressive Final Four run. Tommy Lloyd has spoken highly of James’ skill set and work ethic, and there’s a chance we see him crack the rotation in 2026-27. More realistically, however, James will need a longer runway in college basketball than his brother, who went one-and-done despite meager production as a freshman at USC. He’s probably a four- or five-year college player unless broader machinations land him in the NBA sooner.

Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois (son of Peja Stojakovic)

Stojaković attended the NBA Combine before returning to Illinois for his senior year. Unlike his father, a three-time NBA All-Star, Andrej isn’t much of a shooter. He instead contributes with his defense and his slashing, doing most of his damage attacking closeouts when the defense is already in rotation. He projects as a future second-round pick who will stake his NBA claim on grit and intangibles.

Jaxon Richardson, Alabama (son of Jason Richardson)

Much like his father, Richardson is a nuclear athlete on the wing, capable of gravity-defying displays of athleticism at the rim. He is extremely twitchy and coordinated, providing a steadfast presence on defense and always attacking the glass. He’s still developing his ball skills offensively, but Richardson will cut backdoor, finish lobs and make slick, unselfish passes in the flow of the offense. His brother, Jase, went one-and-done at Michigan State. He will attempt to do the same at Alabama under one of the game’s great coaches in Nate Oats.

Jake Wilkins, Cal (son of Dominique Wilkins)

Wilkins made an impact in limited minutes at UGA, with impressive steal (3.0 STL%) and block (4.3 BLK%) numbers in addition to converting on 71.4 percent of his attempts at the rim. The 6-foot-9 forward transferred to Cal for his sophomore campaign. He needs to add muscle and develop his perimeter skills, but as you’d expect from the son of Nique, he’s a super twitchy, super bouncy athlete who makes plays on both ends of the floor.

Alijah Arenas, USC (son of Gilbert Arenas)

A preseason car accident delayed Arenas’ freshman debut at USC and he never quite looked right, averaging 14.1 points and 2.1 assists but shooting 34.1 percent from the field. Arenas has his father’s DNA — he’s a super-quick, shifty ball-handler with a deep bag of tricks. He looks the part of a three-level scorer and lead creator. If he can dial in his efficiency and contribute more to winning as a sophomore, he could join his dad among the ranks of first-round NBA Draft picks.

Cayden Boozer, Duke (son of Carlos Boozer)

Boozer spent his freshman season playing alongside his brother, Cameron, who won National Player of the Year and became the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Now he embarks on his own, expected to start at point guard for a loaded Duke squad. He’s an incredibly smart player with great size and physicality for a point guard, but he needs to develop his scoring before NBA teams buy in. At worst, Boozer could become a special college point guard over the next few years.

Kiyan Anthony, Syracuse (son of Carmelo Anthony)

Anthony followed in his father’s footsteps and went to Syracuse, where he averaged 8.0 points on 39.9 percent shooting as a freshman. He flirted with the transfer portal this offseason but committed to the Orange for at least another year after his dad’s former college teammate, Gerry McNamara, agreed to become the program’s next head coach. Anthony is a smooth scorer on the wing, but he needs to develop the ancillary aspects of his game to take the next step.

JJ Andrews, Arkansas (son of Shawn Andrews)

Andrews joins a loaded incoming freshman class at Arkansas under John Calipari. The son of former NFL Pro Bowler Shawn Andrews, who set several football records at Arkansas, Andrews has strong ties to the school — and a skill set that should mesh perfectly with the Razorbacks’ up-tempo style. Andrews’ football genes are readily apparent. He’s built like a tank, with explosive athleticism that allows him to dominate in transition and defend across the positional spectrum. If everything clicks and he can carve out a consistent role, Andrews is a potential one-and-done lottery pick.

Other college basketball stars with notable pro connections

Dylan Mingo will play alongside his brother, Kayden, at Baylor this season, becoming the latest pair of high-profile siblings to team up in the college ranks.

Karter Knox’s brother, Kevin, was a former lottery pick out of Kentucky. He started his college basketball career under his brother’s former coach, John Calipari, before transferring to Louisville this summer ahead of his junior year.

Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, arguably the best basketball prospect in the world, will join Duke this season as a 17-year-old. His father, Ruben, was a second-round NBA Draft pick who played three seasons with the Blazers. He also played professionally in Europe before becoming a scout for the 76ers, where he was eventually promoted to assistant GM of their G League squad.

Pryce Sandfort’s brother, Payton, was a second-round pick to OKC, where he’s currently on a two-way contract. Jeremy Fears Jr.’s brother, Jeremiah, was the No. 7 overall pick to the Pelicans in 2025. He finished second team All-Rookie.

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