Why Kansas' Darryn Peterson Is Prospect NBA Scouts Most Want to Watch During March Madness

Darryn Peterson might be the prospective 2026 NCA draft lottery pick with the most to prove during Kansas' upcoming NCAA Tournament run.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie described Peterson as "the player scouts most want to see" after health issues including illness, a hamstring strain and cramping issues limited him to 22 games.

Peterson recently told the Kansas City Star's Shreyas Laddha the full-body cramps he had been suffering since September have been "a huge factor" in his freshman season.

Vecenie noted that Peterson's efficiency dropped even when his availability increased down the stretch of the season. Peterson appeared in each of the Jayhawks' last nine games, but shot 37.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep over that 4-5 stretch.

Prospective top pick AJ Dybantsa, in contrast, recently shot 52.4 percent from the field and 35.7 per deep in three Big 12 tournament games for BYU.

"Scouts and NBA executives have been willing to accept a lot of excuses for Peterson's performance this year and rely a lot on their prior experience of evaluating him at the high school level, where he was utterly dominant in his year at Prolific Prep," Vecenie wrote. "But with how AJ Dybantsa has performed down the stretch, it's going to become a question of comfort and certainty at the No. 1 slot."

The latest 2026 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Dybantsa will go at No. 1, followed by Duke's Cameron Boozer at No. 2 and Peterson at No. 3.

Dybantsa could be considered "the safer choice" by general managers after posting a nation-high 25.3 points per game on a 60.2 percent true shooting rate, according to Wasserman.

"The eventual lottery winner may not want to take any chances, and whether it's role or injury related, [Peterson] hasn't demonstrated playmaking ability, he's shooting 31.7 percent in ball-screen situations and he's averaging 1.7 baskets at the rim per game, compared to Dybantsa's 4.6," Wasserman wrote.

Kansas is set to open the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Cal Baptist. A win would send the Jayhawks on to face either St. John's or Northern Iowa in the second round.

If Kansas gets as far as the Sweet 16, Boozer and top-seeded Duke could stand between the Jayhawks and a trip to the Elite Eight.

The Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets currently have the best odds to win the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, per Tankathon. Whether Peterson is able to help bring Kansas past the second round for the first time since the Jayhawks' 2022 national title could influence how those teams see him heading into the draft this June.