Darryn Peterson No Longer the Favorite to Go No. 1 in 2026 NBA Draft

For months now, Kansas basketball star freshman Darryn Peterson has been considered the favorite among most major sportsbooks to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft when it rolls around this summer. However, that is no longer the case after this week’s Big 12 Tournament.

BYU freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa has overtaken Peterson as the favorite after having a dominant run in the conference tournament. Dybantsa is now favored at +100 on FanDuel (Peterson +130) and -113 on DraftKings (Peterson +175).

Over the Cougars’ three games, Dybantsa averaged 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 52.4% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.

His 40 points scored in the opening round versus K-State set a BYU single-game freshman record – and his 93 points scored overall set a new Big 12 Tournament record, surpassing the 92-point mark set by former Texas superstar Kevin Durant in 2007.

Peterson had a different experience in Kansas City.

Despite leading the Jayhawks in scoring with an average of 19.0 points per game, Peterson shot just 28.5% from the field (8-of-28) in their two games and only 33.3% (3-of-9) from behind the arc. Both of those percentages are down from his season averages of 44.2% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range.

Dybantsa was one of five players named to the All-Big 12 Tournament Team on Saturday, while neither Peterson, nor any Kansas player, made the cut.

What it Means for Peterson Going Forward

Heading into the postseason, we knew Peterson’s odds of going No. 1 in the NBA Draft would be impacted by how well he plays (or doesn’t play). He’s had NBA scouts and the entire college basketball world watching him under a microscope for weeks now after the number of missed games and missed playing time this season.

That focus is only going to get bigger now that the NCAA Tournament is nearly here, but Peterson can use this opportunity to regain the top spot if he plays well and if he can help KU get out of the first weekend for the first time since 2022.

Not only does he need to play well, he also likely needs to outperform Dybantsa if he hopes to reclaim the best odds of going No. 1. And even if he does, it’s still going to be a neck-and-neck race until June with other factors playing a role such as Peterson’s medical records, the NBA Draft Combine, which team ends up holding the No. 1 pick, and more.

Being the No. 1 pick in the draft is a rare honor that any player in any sport would love to have and Peterson is no exception. It would be hard for him not to envision himself going No. 1 after all the chatter that’s been happening around it for so long.

Hopefully, Peterson is focused solely on being the best player he can be and helping his team win games over the next couple of weeks. But perhaps he could use this latest noise surrounding his draft odds as further motivation to be that player, which may help him achieve his goals and his team’s goals alike.