AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer Highlight College Basketball's Top Players This Season

Naturally, the top NBA Draft prospects would be featured on any list highlighting the top players in college basketball. Even if they aren't at the top, a list of the nation's 100 best players would include prospects that have a high chance of being chosen in June.

This season, the top draft prospects could end up being the absolute best players in the country.

As the college basketball season approaches, fans are eagerly awaiting the debuts of multiple freshmen who could carry the weight of an NBA franchise next year. The 'Big Three' of newcomers has repeatedly been dubbed AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and Cam Boozer (Duke).

While there are plenty of other freshmen such as Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Mikel Brown (Louisville), those three are already in heavy contention for National Player of the Year. Last season, we witnessed Cooper Flagg take the country by storm at 17 years old, taking home the award and leading Duke to the Final Four.

James Fletcher III of On3 recently ranked the top 100 players heading into the college basketball season. Dybantsa, Boozer and Peterson were featured on the list, but their rankings are surprisingly impressive.

All three were featured in the top six, with Boozer at No. 6, Peterson at No. 5 and Dybantsa at No. 4. Dybantsa, in particular, will lead BYU with plenty of hype, but the skillset to back it up.

"Long considered one of the must-see prospects in a loaded recruiting class, AJ Dybantsa enters the season as the No. 1 ranked recruit in the Rivals Consensus Rankings," Fletcher wrote. "In the mix to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he will have the full season to showcase his talent in college basketball."

Any one of those three has a case to be taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While some draft prospects in years past don't immediately garner nationwide attention or don't dazzle with the statistics, the freshman trio will be the top scoring options on their respective teams, and have a case to make a deep run in the tournament.

At Duke, Boozer will be the focal point of Jon Scheyer's system, but the talent to create an all-around title contender. Boozer will have the benefit of playing with his brother, Cayden, along with returners such as Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster. The 6-foot-9 power forward should benefit others, as well as himself, with such a loaded Blue Devils squad.

Peterson has the keys to his team more than any freshman. At Kansas, he'll bear the responsibilities of facilitator and scoring on offense, which could pose some early challenges for the newcomer. However, he has that 'it' factor that makes so many NBA stars special. Expectations are high for him, as well as Boozer and Dybantsa.