Three NBA Draft Prospects Off to Strong Starts

The projected top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has lived up to the hype so far this season and, while it's still early, he has showcased why he was so highly regarded preseason.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound freshman guard is averaging 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in 25 minutes per game. One of the two games Peterson has appeared in thus far was against UNC as well, showing he hasn't just been putting up numbers on non high-major opponents.

It should be noted that Peterson missed Kansas' most recent game due to a hamstring injury, but he'll have many more opportunities to showcase his abilities against strong opponents -- Kansas' last three games of November are against Duke, Notre Dame, and Syracuse, respectively.

Peterson is known for his abilities on both ends of the floor and is shooting 83.3% at the rim (six attempts), 57.1% on non-rim twos (seven attempts), 50% from three (12 attempts), and 77.8% from the line (nine attempts) while recording a 28.8 assist percentage, 4.7 steal percentage, and 4.4 block percentage.

Labaron Philon, Alabama

Alabama has played two strong teams so far in Purdue and St John's, and Philon has put up impressive numbers this season overall in three total games.

He's averaging 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, six assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 29.3 minutes per game. Additionally, he's finishing 73.7% of his attempts at the rim (19 attempts), 50% of his non-rim twos (10 attempts), and 33.3% of his threes (15 attempts). The 73.7% at the rim is likely unsustainable but would be significantly improved from last season's 58.1% at the rim.

The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard is also recording a 37.6 assist percentage, 2.4 steal percentage, and 2.1 block percentage so far this season. A player who was on the verge of staying in the 2025 NBA Draft, Philon may improve his draft stock while receiving NIL money and continuing to develop his game in his second year at Alabama.

Richie Saunders, BYU

Saunders may not be on the same tier of NBA prospect as Peterson and Philon but he's a player who's been on radars over the past few seasons.

He's a 6-foot-5 guard who's averaging 20.3 points, seven rebounds, two assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 62.5% at the rim (16 attempts), 47.4% from three (19 attempts), and 80% from the free throw line (15 attempts). This includes 15 points, two assists, seven rebounds, and two steals against Villanova in BYU's first game of the season.

Additionally, Saunders is recording a steal percentage of five and a 1.4 block percentage. He could enter NBA conversations with continued impressive play alongside projected top-three pick AJ Dybantsa.