At this point, the 2026 NBA Draft’s trio of top prospects is AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer. The top three high school recruits have been unanimously dubbed the first three picks of the draft, at least leading up to the start of the college basketball season.
The 18-year-olds will have immense expectations for BYU, Kansas and Duke. The expectations are so high that CBS Sports’ Gary Parish, Isaac Trotter and Kyle Boone picked the them to land on the All-America teams.
Peterson was the only one of the trio to be picked for the first team. alongside three seniors and one junior. The 6-foot-5 combo guard will have the keys to the Jayhawks’ offense, starring for a team that could struggle to compete for the Big 12 title.
“By all accounts this preseason he has met or exceeded even the loftiest of expectations in Lawrence, dazzling behind the scenes with his ability to command an offense as both a playmaker and scorer,” Boone wrote.
“KU coach Bill Self earlier this year stunned some by leaning into expectations and saying Peterson is the best player he’s recruited at Kansas – where he has recruited the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and others. We tend to believe Hall of Fame coaches when they make these types of declarations.”
Boozer and Dybantsa highlighted the second team, along with fellow top prospect Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) and two seniors. Boozer, in particular, will be exciting to watch for a Blue Devils squad that could go as deep as last season. The 6-foot-9 power forward can score, facilitate and rebound at a high level.
“At 6-9, Boozer owns a physical frame, but his game extends to the perimeter as he can handle the rock, facilitate offense and shoot it from outside,” Cobb wrote. “He’s more of a gritty winner than a flashy athlete and his maturity should make for a seamless transition to college basketball.”
Dybantsa may be the most famous of the prospect trio. The 6-foot-9 wing has drawn superstar hype as an athletic player who can score at all three levels while defending at a high level on the other end.
“The deep-pocketed Cougars are poised to reap the benefits of a long, rangy wing whose athleticism portends unending potential,” Cobb wrote. “Dybantsa is skilled enough to score at all three levels, and if he can do it efficiently, he’ll be one of the sport’s top stars.”