With the NBA Lottery officially in the books and the picks solidified, mainly the No. 1 overall pick, which will go to the Washington Wizards, there is a lot of talk going on. After the end of the college basketball season, it seems sealed that Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson lost the No. 1 pick to BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa.
Peterson struggled in his lone college season due to injuries and a cramping problem that ended up being due to taking high doses of creatine, while Dybantsa put on a highlight reel season. It seemed Peterson let a golden opportunity slip through his hands, and Dybantsa capitalized on it.
Now that the NBA Draft order is set, the debate for who will go No. 1 seems to be heating up just a bit. Even though it felt like Dybantsa had it in the bag, suddenly, there are a few people leaning back towards Peterson as the No. 1 pick.
NBA ESPN insider Jonathan Givony fully backs Darryn Peterson being the No. 1 NBA Draft pick
"I've seen those guys on the same floor in person probably 8-10 times…
— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) May 11, 2026
Not once did I come away thinking AJ Dybantsa is a better prospect than Darryn Peterson”
- @DraftExpress via the @ZachLowe_NBA show pic.twitter.com/vK2g6VThfE
There is no question that Darryn Peterson has the talent to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft; however, everything that went down this past college basketball season didn't help his stock. The cramping problem, and missing entire games as well as multiple halves of games didn't look good when it came to availability.
Dybantsa, on the other hand, sometimes played entire games without subbing off. By the time the news of Peterson's cramping problem came to light, and the damage had been done, there just isn't as much to look at on film between Peterson and Dybantsa.
Givony doesn't think that matters, though, when it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft, as he is all in on the fact that Peterson should be the No. 1 overall pick.
"I've seen those guys on the same floor in person probably 8-10 times…Not once did I come away thinking AJ Dybantsa is a better prospect than Darryn Peterson," Givony said on the Zach Lowe Show.
Givony spoke at length about seeing both Dybantsa and Peteson on the court together, either against each other or on the same team, and never once did he feel Dybantsa was the better prospect.
Looking at the one time Petersona nd Dybantsa faced off in college, Kansas walked away with the win, and Peterson just edged out Dybantsa, even only playing half the game. Peterson dealt with those nagging cramps in this matchup, only playing 20 minutes, but scored 18 points, going 3-for-5 from 3-point range, adding three rebounds and three steals.
Dybantsa played 34 minutes on the court and struggled against a Jayhawks defense that was ready for what he had to give. Dybantsa scored just 17 points with one rebound, one assist, and two turnovers.
The proof is right there in the head-to-head matchup, and who knows how much more Peterson would have gone off for had he not had to come out due to the cramps. While it makes sense that teams could still be worried about the cramping, Peterson found out the problem and is working to get it under control.
Not many analysts are saying what Givony is, and it could be because it isn't the popular opinion, but the proof is on film that when Peterson is on the court, he makes a big difference for any team.
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