For a while during the college basketball season, many projected Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson as the best player available for the 2026 NBA Draft, but that quickly changed as the season unfolded.
In the months leading up to the NBA Draft Lottery, there has been a consensus that BYU’s AJ Dybantsa will be the top pick next month. That means he’ll join the lowly Washington Wizards, barring a big trade between teams.
However, that doesn’t mean another top prospect in the draft couldn’t perform better than him early or late in their NBA careers.
While participating in the NBA Draft Combine this week, Peterson explained why he’s worthy of being selected first overall during an appearance on ESPN.
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“I feel like I’m the best. Any team I feel like I’m placed on, I feel like I can go in and make an instant impact on both sides of the ball, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make my team better and help my team win,” he shared.
That’s the sort of answer a top-three prospect should give heading into the NBA Draft, as teams looking to select him aren’t going to want someone who lacks confidence in his abilities.
Along with that statement, he indicated his best NBA comparison is reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, those remarks are unlikely to change the fact that Dybantsa will be first overall and Peterson will be second.
He also shared details about his relationship with the BYU star, as they’ve been teammates and rivals before.
“Just two hoopers going out there and chasing a dream. Obviously, when we step on the court, we try to go at each other, so that’s what we are always trying to do, and I’ve been blessed to come out on top every time,” he stated on “SportsCenter.”
Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals at Kansas, participating in 24 games. He also played several games in the NCAA Tournament, losing a close game to the St. John’s Red Storm in the second round.
Peterson’s best game was a 32-point performance in an overtime win against TCU this past season, but he never quite impressed as Dybantsa did throughout the season.
Dybantsa recorded a career-high 43 points in January against Utah, also grabbing six rebounds, dishing three assists, and blocking a shot in the 91-78 win.
Despite some concerns this past college basketball season about Peterson missing games due to severe cramping, he’s since clarified that an increase in creatine intake caused it. The former Jayhawks star said figuring out what caused those issues has been good for him mentally, and he’s back to where he was athletically in high school.
The expectation is that he’ll go second overall to the Utah Jazz, a team that’s struggled in recent seasons and could use some serious talent to upgrade its roster.
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