With March Madness having wrapped up and the end of the NBA regular season approaching, many people are talking about who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Will it be A.J. Dybantsa? Can Cam Boozer carry his dominance in the NCAA to the NBA? Is Darryn Peterson a reliable player for NBA teams to bet on? What about the rest of the draft class that put on a show this past season in college basketball? I will provide an overview of several players, what they bring to the table, and their negatives, and let you decide who should be the next No. 1 pick.
Let’s start with Cameron Boozer. The 6-foot-9 forward has been a force in college basketball, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and shooting 56% from the field per game. Not to mention his Naismith College Player of the Year award, putting him on the same list as players like Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson, and Kevin Durant. Boozer led Duke to a 35-3 record, and the team was widely regarded as a favorite entering March Madness, but it eventually lost on a last-second shot by UConn’s Braylon Mullins. Boozer’s reliability and consistency stand out. He rarely has bad games and has the ability to impact winning on both sides of the court without forcing shots. The only real question is whether he can maintain his dominance in the NBA. He uses his size and strength in college to dominate in the paint, but would that translate against players like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Zion Williamson? Nonetheless, Cameron Boozer is a strong and reliable prospect, and NBA teams will want to get their hands on him.
A.J. Dybantsa is the ultimate upside pick, averaging 25.5 points per game and leading college basketball in scoring. He is a 6-foot-8 athletic wing who can score at all three levels and is willing to do anything to improve his game. A lot of Dybantsa’s success can be credited to his father, Ace Dybantsa, who is his manager and agent. When A.J. was growing up, his father was a police officer and pushed him to be the best version of himself. Ace even set up a camera system to make sure A.J. and his sisters completed their sets of push-ups in the morning and evening. Dybantsa’s work ethic and scoring ability make him an appealing top pick in most years, but this is not most years.
What makes that true is the next prospect: Darryn Peterson. At times, Peterson has shown flashes of greatness, drawing comparisons to players like Kobe Bryant and Anthony Edwards. Peterson averages 20 points per game and shoots 40% from three. His three-point shooting combined with his ability to get to the rim makes him extremely difficult to stop. When Peterson faced Dybantsa’s Kansas team, he scored 24 points and looked like the best player on the court. With that said, he should be a strong candidate for the No. 1 pick, but it is never that simple. Peterson has recently missed games and, when playing, has occasionally asked to be subbed out. This is a major red flag for NBA front offices; teams are hesitant to invest in players without reliability. We have seen similar concerns in modern cases such as Ja Morant and Zion Williamson. Peterson and his representatives have said he missed games due to full-body cramping and hamstring issues described as “traumatic.” Even if accurate, it still raises concerns for scouts. Some also question whether he is managing his workload to preserve his body for the draft. It is even uncertain whether he will declare for this year’s draft. Nevertheless, he remains an elite talent whose scoring ability keeps him in the conversation.
There are several other notable prospects. Houston guard Kingston Flemings has proven he can run an offense, highlighted by a 42-point performance. Nate Ament appears to be a high-upside prospect, standing 6-foot-10 and able to handle the ball and create for others. UNC’s Caleb Wilson has emerged as a top-tier two-way athlete who thrives in transition, averaging 19.8 points and more than nine rebounds. Illinois’ Keaton Wagler also had a strong March Madness run. Overall, this draft class may be one of the most talented since the 2003 LeBron James class. I will leave it up to you to predict who will be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
