USA TODAY's 2026 NBA Mock Draft: Did AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson Go No. 1?

The looming battle between BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson is going to be one of the biggest storylines of the upcoming college basketball season.

Both players are expected to make immediate impacts as freshmen in the Big 12, and their rivalry will dominate headlines from now through draft night.

Bryan Kalbrosky of USA TODAY recently dropped his new 2026 NBA mock draft, and his top selection might surprise some Jayhawk fans. He gave the edge to Dybantsa as the next No. 1 overall pick, though he still sang praise for Peterson.

"... Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson is simply too talented to pass up if he is available," Kalbrosky wrote. "The Naismith Prep Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American co-MVP is everything you could want in a prospect with tremendous length and skill as a projectable star."

Scouts have been going back and forth on this topic for months. Dybantsa was long considered the best player in his graduating class before Peterson emerged as a worthy challenger.

MORE: Kansas Basketball Great Quickly Forming Bond With Darryn Peterson

While Peterson (6-foot-5) is not as lengthy as Dybantsa (6-foot-9), he is considered a much better shot creator and playmaker.

During their senior years in high school, Peterson and Prolific Prep got the best of Dybantsa and Utah Prep twice, only adding more fuel to what should be a competitive rivalry for years to come.

ESPN and other outlets currently project Peterson as the top pick in their latest mock drafts, but plenty can change before draft day.

The performance of these two young phenoms as Big 12 freshmen will go a long way in determining who hears their name called first in next year’s draft.