On Monday, ESPN released its updated big board for the 2026 NBA Draft class as Kansas Jayhawks combo guard Darryn Peterson and BYU Cougars small forward AJ Dybantsa from the Big 12 conference top the list.
Peterson ranks No. 1 on the board behind a dominant senior season in high school and has backed up the hype in the first week of the college basketball play.
The 6-foot-6 freshman began the season with a pair of 20-point performances – 21 points vs Green Bay and 22 points at North Carolina. Peterson’s perimeter skills were on full display in the North Carolina game going 3-of-5 and coupled with his ability to be a downhill guard who can drive into the paint with ease – the likelihood remains high that the freshman stays in the running for the top spot in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Peterson has an NBA frame, but will also look to improve on playing without the ball as the season progresses with difficult non-conference and Big 12 slates on the horizon – which will provide many opportunities to develop the skillset.
Dybantsa failed to live some of the hype in his senior season of high school – which led to Peterson taking the top spot in the 2025 freshman class.
The stellar play in the FIBA Under 19 World Cup this past summer made up for the lackluster season for Dybantsa and kept the momentum going with a 21-point, six-rebound outing in a 71-66 win over Villanova on Nov. 3 in Las Vegas to open the season.
The 6-foot-9 length of Dybantsa can dominate on both sides of the ball – the ability on offense to be a playmaker and drive into the paint with ease and finish – complemented by being a disruptor when being guarded on the perimeter or in the paint.
Expect Petertson and Dybantsa to trade off for the overall top projected pick as the season goes along.
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