Who the Top Three NBA Draft Prospects Will Face in the NCAA Tournament?

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is finally here. After months of bracketology, countless games and conference tournaments, 68 teams will fight for a chance at college basketball glory in the Big Dance.

This year's tournament will feature arguably the best freshman class the sport has ever seen. The top prospects have all been tabbed as 'generational,' players that come through once every lifetime with the chance to turn around tanking NBA franchises.

The three best players have remained consistent all season long. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer could go in any order this June, and they'll have the chance to build their own cases for No. 1 overall in the tournament. Who will each NBA Draft prospect face, and when?

East Region: 1 Duke vs. 16 Siena (March 19, 2:50 p.m. ET)

Prospect to Watch: Cameron Boozer

Boozer is coming off a regular season in which he should walk away with the National Player of the Year award. The 6-foot-9 freshman is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the ACC champions. At 32-2, the Blue Devils earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

Boozer will have an easy opportunity to have a big game against the No. 16 seed in round one. However, Duke's area of the bracket features multiple Blue Bloods down the road, including UConn, Kansas and UCLA.

West Region: 6 BYU vs. 11 Texas/NC State (March 19, 7:25 p.m. ET)

Prospect to Watch: AJ Dybantsa

Dybanta hasn't had any shortage of an electric year despite BYU's disappointing finish to the season and Big 12 Tournament. The 6-foot-9 wing has wowed fans with uber-athletic slashing and elite shot-making, while also having scouts rave about his two-way potential.

Historically, teams coming out of the First Four are dangerous to face. The Cougars have two Power Five teams going at it, which could be scary looking ahead. Dybantsa is leading the nation in scoring at 25.3 points per game, along with 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 51.3% shooting from the field.

East Region: 4 Kansas vs. 13 CA Baptist (March 20, 9:45 p.m. ET)

Prospect to Watch: Darryn Peterson

While Dybantsa and Boozer have been in the positive light for the entire season, Peterson's freshman season has been filled with criticism. Health concerns and a lack of playing time have potentially marred the image of the leading prospect in the NBA Draft, despite putting up nearly 20 points in 28.4 minutes a night.

Peterson has been way more consistent over the last month and has the opportunity to build upon that in the same region as Boozer. For draft fanatics, the likelihood that the two could meet in the Sweet Sixteen is a dream come true.

The last time two prospects of this magnitude faced off in the NCAA Tournament has to be Lonzo Ball and UCLA going up against De'Aaron Fox and Kentucky in 2017. Nothing is set in stone, but we're hopeful.