NBA Draft

NBA Draft: Trio of Freshmen Make History Saturday

AJ Dybantsa, Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings made history Saturday.
Derek Parker|
Jan 24, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) looks to dribble around Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) looks to dribble around Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Saturday saw a loaded slate of college basketball games, with several of the country’s top teams facing off against one another. 

Several of those teams featured players from the 2026 NBA Draft class, which is amid one of the better collegiate seasons we’ve ever seen. 

On Saturday, they made history. Per ESPN Research, Saturday was the first time ever that three freshmen had 40-point games or more. 

It started with Houston’s Kingston Flemings, who’s been no stranger to draft acclaim so far this season. The 6-foot-4 guard came in as a five-star, though few pundits expected him to be a one-and-done prospect.

He’s quickly proved most wrong, and Saturday’s 42-point, six-assist game only cemented that. He shot 15-for-26 overall, hitting four triples on nine attempts, which hasn’t been a strong point so far this season.

Ultimately, the Cougars couldn’t grab another win versus Texas Tech, but Flemings was spectacular yet again.

Shortly after, Illinois’ guard Keaton Wagler would see what was likely the top performance of the day: 46 points against Purdue on the road.

Wagler similarly came in without much draft hype. Even less so, considering he was a four-star. Though he too has quickly come on as a bonafide lottery prospect. 

Wagler was in the zone Saturday, helping to take down Braden Smith and the Boilermakers, 88-82. He shot a blistering 13-for-17 overall, hitting a mind-boggling nine of his 11 attempted 3-pointers. He was unstoppable in getting into his 3-point shot, shooting on the catch, while moving and even creating on his own.

Given his efficiency and the fact Illinois took down a top-four squad, Wagler’s performance could very well be the best of the season in general.

Lastly was BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, who’s been well-covered as one of the three No. 1-level prospects in this draft. At 6-foot-9, he has premier scoring ability, and was able to show that off against Utah Saturday.

Dybantsa scored 43 points, shooting 24 shots in total and hitting four of his five threes. He hasn’t been a prolific scorer from beyond the arc this season, but was able to make a difference there and grab his career high.

All of Dybantsa, Wagler and Flemings were stellar Saturday, and that’s without mentioning several great performances from Cameron Boozer, Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown Jr., and more.

The 2026 draft class continues to excel as a whole, offering pro-ready true freshmen, impactful returnees and a host of talented international prospects as well.

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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek Parker covers the National Basketball Association, and has brought On SI five seasons of coverage across several different teams. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2020, and has experience working in print, video and radio.

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