AJ Dybantsa Ranked No. 1 In The Athletic's First 2026 NBA Draft Big Board

AJ Dybantsa claimed the top position in the first 2026 NBA Draft Big Board released this week by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. The BYU wing moved ahead of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer in rankings that showcase what NBA personnel and analysts consider an exceptional draft class. The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa is averaging 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 58.6 percent from the field.

The 2026 class, which has long been expected to feature several franchise player level talents, has exceeded expectations from a depth perspective. The freshman class features standout performers including Illinois wing Keaton Wagler, Washington center Hannes Steinbach and Alabama wing Amari Allen. The sophomore class has shown significant improvement with Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner and Alabama guard Labaron Philon breaking out in SEC play.

Dybantsa earned the top ranking primarily due to growth shown since the season began. His athletic profile blends power and explosiveness with touch and coordination. The 18-year-old gets to the free throw line eight times per game and converts at a 76.5 percent rate.

Dybantsa generates consistent paint touches as defenders struggle to prevent his downhill drives. He has averaged 5.3 assists per game since December while showing improved passing ability.

Peterson's injury situation has become a critical talking point of the college basketball season. Kansas coach Bill Self has described the issue variously as a hamstring injury, quad cramping and a minutes restriction throughout the year. Peterson sat out overtime against TCU on Tuesday after scoring 32 points due to cramping.

Five NBA executives and scouts indicated Peterson's draft stock has not been damaged by the injury concerns. Teams will examine medical results closely during the pre-draft process under the new collective bargaining agreement requirements.

"We'll find out the information that matters on his leg at the combine and go from there," said one front office executive granted anonymity. "With scouting him, I'd love to see Peterson play. In the end, if he ends up not playing enough, it might result in the team at No. 1 feeling more comfortable with one of the other two guys at the top from a safety perspective.

"I can't speak for everyone, but I have seen enough from Peterson both at the high school level and in college to feel comfortable that he's at least a top-three player in the class as long as his medical comes back clean long-term."

The 2026 class features exceptional depth at point guard with four guards ranked in the lottery range. Houston guard Kingston Flemings sits at No. 5 overall after showcasing star-quality upside and proven ability to play on and off the ball. Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. ranks 10th despite shooting just 26.8 percent from three-point range this season.

Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. has averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game for John Calipari's team. Scouts compare Acuff to Trae Young due to his ball-dominant style and defensive limitations.

The Athletic's 2026 NBA Draft Big Board Top 100

1. AJ Dybantsa, Wing, BYU
2. Darryn Peterson, Guard, Kansas
3. Cameron Boozer, Forward, Duke
4. Caleb Wilson, Wing, North Carolina
5. Kingston Flemings, Guard, Houston
6. Jayden Quaintance, Big, Kentucky
7. Koa Peat, Forward, Arizona
8. Yaxel Lendeborg, Forward, Michigan
9. Hannes Steinbach, Big, Washington
10. Mikel Brown Jr., Guard, Louisville
11. Keaton Wagler, Wing, Illinois
12. Thomas Haugh, Forward, Florida
13. Labaron Philon, Guard, Alabama
14. Cameron Carr, Wing, Baylor
15. Patrick Ngongba II, Big, Duke
16. Darius Acuff Jr., Guard, Arkansas
17. Nate Ament, Wing/Forward, Tennessee
18. Braylon Mullins, Wing, Connecticut
19. Joshua Jefferson, Wing, Iowa State
20. Christian Anderson, Guard, Texas Tech
21. Bennett Stirtz, Guard, Iowa
22. Tounde Yessoufou, Wing, Baylor
23. Neoklis Avdalas, Wing, Virginia Tech
24. Amari Allen, Wing, Alabama
25. Karim Lopez, Forward, NZ Breakers
26. Tyler Tanner, Guard, Vanderbilt
27. Henri Veesaar, Big, North Carolina
28. Dash Daniels, Wing, Melbourne United
29. Killyan Toure, Guard, Iowa State
30. Dailyn Swain, Wing, Texas
31. Aday Mara, Big, Michigan
32. Chris Cenac Jr., Big, Houston
33. Brayden Burries, Wing, Arizona
34. Alex Karaban, Wing, Connecticut
35. Richie Saunders, Wing, BYU
36. Isaiah Evans, Wing, Duke
37. Meleek Thomas, Wing, Arkansas
38. Braden Smith, Guard, Purdue
39. Ryan Conwell, Guard, Louisville
40. JoJo Tugler, Big, Houston
41. Sergio De Larrea, Guard, Valencia
42. Dame Sarr, Wing, Duke
43. Tarris Reed Jr., Big, Connecticut
44. Alex Condon, Big, Florida
45. Tamin Lipsey, Guard, Iowa State
46. Milan Momcilovic, Wing, Iowa State
47. Milos Uzan, Guard, Houston
48. Johann Grunloh, Big, Virginia
49. Nate Bittle, Big, Oregon
50. Flory Bidunga, Big, Kansas
51. Braden Huff, Big, Gonzaga
52. De'Shayne Montgomery, Wing, Dayton
53. Morez Johnson Jr., Big, Michigan
54. Bruce Thornton, Guard, Ohio State
55. Juke Harris, Wing, Wake Forest
56. Jaden Bradley, Guard, Arizona
57. Zuby Ejiofor, Big, St. John's
58. Silas DeMary Jr., Guard, Connecticut
59. MoMo Faye, Big, Paris Basketball
60. Adam Atamna, Guard, ASVEL
61. Tomislav Ivisic, Big, Illinois
62. Kwame Evans Jr., Wing, Oregon
63. Paul McNeil, Wing, NC State
64. Pryce Sandfort, Wing, Nebraska
65. Nolan Winter, Big, Wisconsin
66. JT Toppin, Big, Texas Tech
67. Blue Cain, Guard, Georgia
68. Andrej Stojakovic, Wing, Illinois
69. Tahaad Pettiford, Guard, Auburn
70. K.J. Lewis, Guard, Georgetown
71. Baba Miller, Wing, Cincinnati
72. Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Guard, Tennessee
73. Motiejus Krivas, Big, Arizona
74. Tyler Bilodeau, Forward, UCLA
75. Darrion Williams, Forward, NC State
76. Nick Martinelli, Wing, Northwestern
77. Cade Tyson, Wing, Minnesota
78. William Kyle, Big, Syracuse
79. Keyshawn Hall, Forward, Auburn
80. Emanuel Sharp, Guard, Houston
81. Donovan Dent, Guard, UCLA
82. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Big, Purdue
83. Tucker DeVries, Wing, Indiana
84. Joshua Dix, Wing, Creighton
85. John Blackwell, Guard, Wisconsin
86. Otega Oweh, Wing, Kentucky
87. Elijah Mahi, Forward, Santa Clara
88. Lamar Wilkerson, Guard, Indiana
89. Kylan Boswell, Guard, Illinois
90. Dillon Mitchell, Wing, St. John's
91. Josh Omofajo, Wing, South Florida
92. Ben Henshall, Guard, Perth Wildcats
93. Maliq Brown, Big, Duke
94. Trevon Brazile, Big, Arkansas
95. Michael Ruzic, Big, Joventut
96. Nick Boyd, Guard, Wisconsin
97. Michael Ajayi, Wing, Butler
98. Oscar Cluff, Big, Purdue
99. Fletcher Loyer, Guard, Purdue
100. Bryce Hopkins, Forward, St. John's