When Darryn Peterson started his time at Kansas, it seemed like his hold on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft would never slip. The former five-star recruit was projected to come into the 2025-2026 college basketball season and take over, hopefully leading Kansas to a National Championship.
Since then, Peterson has missed nearly half the season with a hamstring issue, cramping issues, an ankle injury, and flu-like symptoms. All of that has really made the sports media question whether or not his availability can be trusted. At times, Peterson has even pulled himself out of games and never returned.
With the end of the college basketball season coming soon and the NBA Draft approaching in the summer, mock drafts are continuing to be released, and The Athletic's Sam Vecenie's mock draft could have Peterson starting to worry.
To this point, Peterson hasn't lost his grip on the No. 1 overall pick, but Vecenie seems to think he has, as he is projecting BYU's AJ Dybantsa to go first overall to the Sacramento Kings and Peterson to go No. 2 to the Washington Wizards.
March is here, and as we head toward the madness, here’s @Sam_Vecenie's latest 2026 NBA mock draft ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/5hPtjDAydb
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 2, 2026
Darryn Peterson can secure No. 1 overall pick with stellar performance in March
The NBA Draft is still months away, and there is still time left in the current college basketball season for Peterson to secure that No. 1 overall pick. Since the cramping issue at Oklahoma State, Peterson has played in three straight games without pulling himself for the issue, which is a good sign for the Jayhawks.
With just two games left in the regular season, Kansas is already a lock for the NCAA Tournament and at least a high seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Peterson has the ability to completely take over both tournaments if he can keep himself healthy.
By doing that, Peterson could secure that No. 1 overall draft spot, showing every NBA team that when it matters most, he will make sure he is on the court.