NBA Draft: Darryn Peterson, Kansas Best AJ Dybantsa and BYU

On Saturday, two of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft class faced off in Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and BYU wing AJ Dybantsa. It was one of the more hyped matchups in some time, with Peterson projected to go No. 1 by most, and Dybantsa not far behind.

All in all, Peterson and Kansas would come out on top, downing the Cougars, 90-82, in a rowdy Allen Fieldhouse to grab their fifth-straight win.

The game would start heavily in Kansas’ favor, with Peterson and the Jayhawks setting the tone early on both ends. The projected No. 1 pick started with multiple steals and tough buckets, all while Dybantsa and a few other Cougars struggled to rev up. Peterson would grab nine points and two steals in the first few minutes, with Dybantsa failing to score.

From there, Peterson would intermittently hit shots while Kansas shot blisteringly from beyond the arc, hustling around to stop BYU as well.

Darryn Peterson was HOOPIN’ in the first half vs. No. 13 BYU 😦

🔥 18 PTS
🔥 6-7 FG
🔥 3 STL pic.twitter.com/nQ3GvkHFpP
— ESPN (@espn) January 31, 2026

The second half went differently on an individual and team level.

Peterson played extremely limited minutes, continuing to deal with injuries as he has all season. He exited the game with 16 minutes left and would not return. Dybantsa would finally find a small rhythm, though BYU as a whole would storm back with a team effort.

The game would get as close as four late, though Kansas would see just enough offense to grab the late win.

While most of the attention was on the Peterson-Dybantsa matchup, other 2026 draft hopefuls were able to showcase their games as well. Kansas big Flory Bidunga has continued to level up this season, posting 16 points, four assists and two blocks against BYU. On the flip-side, Cougars’ wing Richie Saunders, a projected second-round pick, shot a blistering 11-for-19 overall to finish with a career-high 33 points, sparking his team's late run.

Peterson would finish with 18 points and three steals, all grabbed in the first half, and Dybantsa 17 points on 50% shooting.

Ultimately, one game isn’t likely to shift NBA decision-makers minds massively one way or the other. Though they won’t soon forget how effortlessly competitive Peterson looked in the first half. For now, Peterson still feels like the favorite to go No. 1, though Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Dybantsa aren’t far behind, and the injuries are sure to play some sort of factor in how teams will approach the 2026 draft.

Kansas is set to see a gauntlet in the next few weeks, taking on No. 11 Texas Tech, Utah, No. 1 Arizona and No. 8 Iowa State in succession. BYU takes on No. 10 Houston next Saturday.

The next major prospect matchup will feature Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson on Saturday, Feb. 7, both of which are projected to be top-four picks.