The wait is finally over.
Minutes ago, the Washington Wizards made their selection of former BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
With the nation’s leading scorer from last season off the board, the Utah Jazz were instead gifted their newest superstar in the nation’s former No. 1 overall high school player and Kansas Jayhawk, Darryn Peterson.
Peterson finally knows his newest destination
Now, of course, Peterson wanted the top spot. After what felt like an eon-long battle between him and Dybantsa, it is a stinging feeling to see someone from your conference get chosen ahead of you.
Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals on a strong 43.8% field goal rate, which included a 38.2% mark from beyond the arc. What makes these numbers even more impressive is the fact that Peterson did it in just 29 minutes per game.
However, Peterson’s biggest Achilles' heel never came when he was on the court. A healthy Peterson is more than deserving of the No. 1 pick in most NBA Drafts. But his health issues warrant concern. While Peterson’s cramping issues appeared to have been figured out, not even the biggest Peterson fan can admit that playing in only 24 games isn’t at least a little bit of a red flag.
Meanwhile, across the Big 12, Dybantsa could hardly be taken off the court. Notching 25.5 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals on a stellar 51% from the field in nearly 35 minutes per outing.
The talent from both is there, but Peterson's ceiling must not be ignored
Playing in 24 games and dealing with the health issues that Peterson did is enough to tank most players’ stock; however, Peterson never fell outside of the first-or-second-pick projections. With Peterson even making a late charge up the boards towards the very end.
That's because when you watch tape of a healthy Peterson against an unhealthy one, you see that when he is at full fitness, there is no one like him. His jump shot looks smoother, his leap increases significantly, he is able to create nifty blocks out of nowhere and he has a great ability to run in transition.
NBA organizations have plenty of tape this season of Peterson at full fitness. To back it up, several pundits and coaches at the college level have produced jaw-dropping comparisons.
Peterson’s lack of time in front of the press has undoubtedly hurt his image, as he was rarely in front of the media for questioning about his health, but does that mean he shouldn’t have been selected No. 1 because of it?
Now for Peterson is an exciting core filled with the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. Ace Bailey and Keyonte George, meaning that the Utah Jazz are primed for the playoffs.
The last time the Jazz made it to the playoffs was the 2021-22 season under former head coach Quin Snyder. While this has been a longer rebuild than Jazz fans would have wanted, enlisting a player of Peterson’s quality brings the floor levels higher.
More Kansas Basketball News
Add us as a preferred source on Google