Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson has proven his potential to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA draft in June despite the limited games he has played with the Jayhawks due to a rash of injuries during the regular season. On the other hand, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa has been a durable player, playing all 21 games with the Cougars and posting better all-around numbers than his Kansas counterpart.
Why Would NBA Scouts Favor Darryn Peterson as Top Pick Over AJ Dybantsa in the 2026 Draft?
However, most NBA scouts feel that Peterson has the edge over Dybantsa if the draft happens today, a college sports analyst revealed on Saturday.
In Saturday’s episode of ESPN’s College GameDay at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, Rece Davis and a panel of college basketball analysts, including Jay Williams, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg, and Andraya Carter, talked about the potential top two picks in the 2026 NBA draft in Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa.
Midway through the pregame talk, Davis noted that at least 32 scouts and executives from 17 NBA teams were watching the Kansas-BYU game, and he cued ESPN reporter Pete Thamel to offer deeper insights into the individual matchup between Peterson and Dybantsa.
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Thamel noted that the eyes of the NBA lottery, specifically six front-office members from the Indiana Pacers and five from the Atlanta Hawks (including owner Tony Ressler), are in Lawrence, Kansas, to see the potential top picks in June.
He mentioned the ESPN survey of 20 scouts and executives to find out who’s on their minds as the top pick, and 60% of them voted for the Kansas guard due to his impressive shotmaking, which is comparable to the late Kobe Bryant.
“Scouts cast Peterson to me as perhaps the best shooting guard prospect that’s come through college basketball in the last 20 years,” Thamel said. “One scout compared his shotmaking to Kobe Bryant. Not his athleticism, his shotmaking. Another popular comp was Devin Booker.”
However, Thamel noted the health issues Peterson has suffered during the men’s college basketball season, as he has suited up for only 10 games before the BYU showdown. He missed the Jayhawks’ game against Kansas State due to an ankle injury, which concerns some of the scouts about his durability if he is picked No. 1 overall.
Meanwhile, NBA scouts compare the 6’9″, 218-pound Dybantsa to a taller Tracy McGrady due to his versatility and high upside on both ends of the floor, but he needs to improve on his range, particularly on his 3-point shooting, to outdraft Peterson.
Thamel pointed out that the scouts are hyped for this year’s draft class, with one scout saying that from the first pick to the 10th, the class could hold its own with any in the last generation.
Other potential collegiate freshmen prospects who may likely place their name in the NBA draft after this season are Duke’s Cam Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., Tennessee’s Nate Ament, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona’s Koa Peat, UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler.
“It is extra deep with high-end talent,” said a veteran scout. “This draft will hold up historically as one of the better ones in the last 20 years.”
The clash didn’t live up to the billing as Peterson scored 18 points in 20 minutes while Dybantsa put up 17 but struggled in the first 12 minutes before scoring his first bucket with 7:22 remaining in the first half.
The expected matchup went down the drain when Peterson was subbed out 3 1/2 minutes into the second half due to cramps, according to Kansas coach Bill Self, and Thamel posted it on his X account.
Ultimately, Kansas prevailed 90-82 to improve to 16-5 (6-2 Big 12) while handing BYU its fourth loss in 21 games, including 5-3 in the Big 12. Bryson Tiller topped the Jayhawks’ offense with 21 points while Richie Saunders led the Cougars with 33 points.
