FILE - BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) drives to the basket against Dayton during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
For more than a year, recruiting analysts and NBA draft experts have mentioned the 2025-26 college freshman class as among the best in recent memory. They noted several should be first round picks, and it looks like they will be proven correct. On Tuesday, freshmen are expected to dominate the early part of the draft’s first round, just like in 2025.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie each have all freshmen in the top 10 of their latest mock drafts. If that were to happen, it would be the first time no one besides a freshman was a top 10 pick, surpassing last year when a record nine freshmen were top 10 picks.
Woo and Vecenie have the same five players going in the top five: BYU forward AJ Dybantsa to the Washington Wizards at No. 1, followed by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson to the Utah Jazz, Duke forward Cam Boozer to the Memphis Grizzlies, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson to the Chicago Bulls and Illinois guard Keaton Wagler to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The first three names are no surprise. Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer were predicted to go in the top three this time a year ago and were considered the best recruits in the high school class of 2025, per the 247Sports Composite. While Peterson had an inconsistent year, played in only 24 gams and sat out multiple games or left early with injuries, he led the Jayhawks with 20.2 points per game and made second team All-Big 12.
