NBA Exec Says AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson 'Could Be All-Stars Quickly'

The 2025-26 men's college basketball season officially begins on Monday night, and a trio of talented freshmen already garnered the respect of evaluators.

BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer and Kansas' Darryn Peterson all impressed in the preseason, and many feel that they will be battling it out to determine the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Regardless of which player hears his name called first next summer, all three of them are projected for stardom at the professional level.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie spoke to one high-ranking executive who said that he felt that "all three look like guys who could be All-Stars quickly in the NBA."

Dybantsa turned heads with a 30-point performance against Nebraska, followed by an 18-point outing against UNC. Not to be outdone, Boozer dropped 33 points, 12 rebounds and four assists against UCF before posting 24 points, 23 rebounds and six assists against Tennessee. Peterson sat out Kansas' second preseason game against Fort Hays, but he impressed with 26 points against Louisville.

Vecenie noted that it's "hard to overemphasize how excited scouts and general managers were about these performances." If the youngsters can keep it up, the upcoming season will be a very exciting time for college basketball fans.

Dybantsa and the No. 8 Cougars will face Villanova in Monday night's season opener, while Peterson and the No. 19 Jayhawks will host Green Bay. Boozer and the No. 6 Blue Devils will take on Texas on Tuesday.