The biggest debate in college basketball right now is about to come to an end: who will go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft? Will it be Kansas star Darryn Peterson or BYU star AJ Dybantsa? If you ask NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, it should be Peterson.
Perkins has some high expectations when it comes to Peterson's career in the NBA, even giving him NBA comparisons for his floor and ceiling. When the floor is Bradley Beal and the ceiling is Kobe Bryant, the expectations are very high.
"He [Peterson] is one of the most talented players, offensively, we have seen in the last 10 years," Perkins said. "He's NBA ready, he's a three-level scorer. I said that his floor is Bradley Beal, his ceiling is Kobe Bryant."
“His floor is Bradley Beal. His ceiling is Kobe Bryant."@KendrickPerkins on Darryn Peterson's potential in the NBA 👀 pic.twitter.com/mdteopW8i9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 23, 2026
Perkins has some very high expectations for Peterson, but there is one thing he wants everyone to do, and that is not look at what he did at Kansas. Peterson's time at Kansas really was a black spot on his talented career thus far. When he was on the court, Peterson was a superstar, but his lone college basketball season was marred by injuries and cramping issues that kept him out nearly half the season.
With expectations so high, Peterson will have a lot to live up to. However, even if he doesn't reach the Kobe Bryant ceiling, a Bradley Beal-type career is nothing to turn your nose up at. There is still no knowing, though, how Peterson will truly perform in the NBA, especially with his lone season in Lawrence.
Darryn Peterson has the chance to prove all the haters wrong in the NBA
Peterson didn't give fans a lot of hope for a stellar NBA career when he sat on the bench for nearly half of the season at Kansas. Having a great first half and a second half where he pulled himself out just minutes in is not something NBA scouts loved to see.
Now, with the talent that Peterson has, NBA teams are still going to take the chance on Peterson, hence why he is still being talked about as the potential No. 1 overall pick. It is clear Peterson is talented; what he was able to do in the short time he was on the court was nothing short of elite, and the talent will translate to the NBA.
Wherever Peterson goes, whether it is to the Washington Wizards or the Utah Jazz, he has the chance to prove a lot of people wrong. With his limited availability during the season at Kansas, it didn't paint a great picture of what his career in the NBA could be if he struggled playing in college.
If Peterson can return to his pre-college form of play, he has a chance to shut up all the haters and then go on to have a great NBA career. Perkins certainly thinks he can do it, and now he just has to go out and show he can.
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