Arizona’s Brayden Burries Continuing NBA Draft Emergence

The Wildcats have a dynamic guard.

Jan 7, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) high fives fans during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Through the first handful of Arizona basketball games, it seemed as if forward Koa Peat would be a runway favorite as the Wildcat’s top pick at the 2026 NBA Draft.

And while Peat’s been stellar in his own right, it seems guard Brayden Burries has something to say given his recent stretch.

A fellow five-star to Peat, Burries joined the team as a well-built combo guard, capable of scoring off the ball, in addition to some on-ball skills that NBA are valuing more each day.

His production started off slow in a tough Arizona system to acclimate to as a youngster, but he’s turned things up a notch lately.

Against Kansas State in the team’s second conference bout, Burries starred, scoring a game-high 28 points on a blistering 12-for-16 shooting, hitting just one of five triples and adding nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block. Even more, across 29 minutes, he didn’t turn the ball over once.

Burries cut off-ball, slashed down the lane for layups or high-rising jumpers and generally used his underrated athleticism, to generate clean looks around the rim. He has the ability work on-ball, though his affinity for scoring without it is sure to catch team’s eyes coming draft-season.

Arizona guard Brayden Burries vs. Kansas State:

28 points
12/16 FG
1/5 3P
9 rebounds
4 assists
4 steals
1 block pic.twitter.com/RisoWI0ip7

— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) January 8, 2026

Additionally, Burries added a season-high five stocks, continuing to show off his defensive prowess. Though he’s been no stranger to nabbing four steals, doing that two other times in his short Wildcats career.

All in all, he continued to help Arizona look like the top team in the nation, taking down Kansas State, 101-76.

After a slow first five games, which included single-digit scoring in four of those, Burries has since gone for 18.8 points on 58% shooting in the following 10.

The crop of true point guards, featuring Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown Jr., Labaron Philon, Bennett Stirtz and more, has rightfully caught the draft space’s attention this year. But Burries will stand out as a fluid two-way player capable of making an impact and filling in roster gaps.

For now, Burries' stock hasn't climbed much in the eyes of pundits, though if he can continue to play at a star level as a true freshmen, he'll likely force their hand. Especially if he can do so through conference play in likely the best league in the country.

He'll need to continue to shoot the ball at a solid rate from beyond the arc, and stands to play-make slightly more, though those won't be major concerns for NBA teams with some in-season progression.