Two BYU Basketball Players Projected to be Drafted in Way-too-Early NBA Draft

The 2025 NBA Draft has come and gone. Former BYU point guard Egor Demin was taken 8th overall by the Brooklyn Nets. Demin is the first BYU player to be taken in the first round since Jimmer Fredette and the high draft pick for BYU since Rafael Araujo.

Looking ahead to the 2026 NBA Draft, the Cougars have multiple players that could end up hearing their names called. Incoming five-star recruit AJ Dybansta is the projected top overall pick by most draft services, although he is projected to be the second overall pick by ESPN. That's about as low as you'll find Dybansta going in mock drafts.

In a way-too-early mock draft, ESPN's Jonathan Givony had both AJ Dybansta and Richie Saunders in his two-round mock draft. Dybansta was projected to be drafted by the Utah Jazz.

Dybantsa has filled up the stat sheet everywhere he has played, but he didn't have a great season last year at Utah Prep.
He looked better at the USA Basketball U19 World Cup in June, where he played more efficiently and dominated both ends. Every NBA team is searching for 6-9 wings in Dybantsa's mold who can score from anywhere, pass on the move and defend multiple positions.
He's already enrolled at BYU, where he'll have the keys to the offense and the opportunity to show he's worthy of being the No. 1 pick -- a process that might begin this upcoming week at the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Jonathan Givony

BYU returning star Richie Saunders was projected to go late in the second round.