Overview
- ESPN’s new big board lists Kansas guard Darryn Peterson at No. 1 and BYU wing AJ Dybantsa at No. 2, with Duke’s Cameron Boozer at No. 3.
- The Athletic’s first 2026 mock from Sam Vecenie matches that top three, and a high-ranking NBA executive told him all three could become All-Stars quickly.
- Opening-week performances reinforced the hype, including Peterson’s 21- and 22-point outings, Dybantsa’s 21 points vs. Villanova after notable preseason showings, and Boozer’s 30-plus point, high-rebound games in exhibitions.
- Evaluators diverge sharply after the top tier, with ESPN’s Jeremy Woo placing UNC freshman Caleb Wilson at No. 5 while Vecenie slots him at No. 16, alongside other sizeable rank gaps for prospects such as Dame Sarr and Karim Lopez.
- Vecenie views the class as top-heavy and notes the 2027 group is considered weaker, a combination he suggests could influence teams’ late-season draft positioning strategies.