As the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season unfolds, the conversation around the 2026 NBA Draft has been around three elite freshman talents — Kansas' Darryn Peterson, BYU's AJ Dybantsa, and Duke Cameron Boozer. Each staking a legit claim as the first overall pick. Scouts and NBA executives say this trio represents one of the draft’s most compelling top-end debates in years, with each player bringing a distinct combination of skills and potential to the table.
Peterson currently holds a slight edge on ESPN’s latest Big Board thanks to his complete offensive package and potential as a primary ball handler.
Standing 6-foot-6 with the ability to create his own shot, facilitate for others, and consistently get downhill, Peterson projects as a modern NBA lead guard who can both score and run an offense. Early in the season, he displayed that explosive scoring ability with big outings for the Jayhawks, locking down his status as a Draft Confidential favorite.
However, Peterson’s journey hasn’t been without hurdles. A lingering hamstring injury delayed his start and has introduced questions. All of this is relatively minor and about his durability isn't a major factor. But multiple NBA insiders believe that when healthy, Peterson’s skill set could be huge at the next level.
Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing at BYU and former number one recruit nationally, remains firmly in the top-tier conversation because of his size, versatility, and two-way potential. Dybantsa’s ability to score at all three levels — in transition, off the dribble, and from the perimeter — makes him especially intriguing to teams seeking a high-ceiling wing. When he’s been locked in, he can dominate games and make big plays on both ends.
Dybantsa’s game thrives on athleticism and feel, and scouts often compare his blend of size and skill to some of the league’s most impactful wing players. His knack for making difficult shots and his positional versatility give him the kind of long-term upside that teams covet at the very top of the draft.
Then there’s Cameron Boozer, a 6-foot-9 power forward at Duke whose polished game and winning ways have put him into the No. 1 discussion. Boozer’s physical maturity and firepower allow him to produce at an elite level against top competition. Though some evaluators see him as slightly less explosive than Peterson or Dybantsa, his efficiency and fundamentals make him one of the safest bets to grow into an NBA star.
In what many are calling one of the deepest top-three groups in recent draft history, the debate over who should go first is far from settled. NBA teams watching closely are relishing the decision on what could be generational draft class.
More college basketball news:
- BYU's AJ Dybantsa made basketball history only ever done by Steph Curry
- AJ Dybantsa just passed Kevin Durant with scoring streak matched by only one player in Big 12 history