Darryn Peterson's NBA Draft Stock Update After Kansas Beats Cal Baptist in March Madness

California Baptist's season came to an end Friday in a 68-60 loss to Kansas, led by projected top-three NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson, despite a near comeback by CBU in the second half.

The 6-foot-6 freshman has averaged 19.8 points this season on 59.2 percent true shooting, though his efficiency dipped down the stretch, shooting 36.2 percent from the field over the team's final seven regular-season games as its primary shotmaker.

Once viewed as the clear No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, Peterson has slipped slightly, landing at No. 3 in Bleacher Report's latest mock draft by Jonathan Wasserman, though a strong NCAA tournament run could boost his stock.

That push began with a statement win over CBU in the opening round where the guard led all scorers with 28 points, adding two steals in the victory.

Duke's Cameron Boozer and BYU's AJ Dybantsa are widely projected to round out the top three in the 2026 NBA Draft alongside Peterson, though ESPN's latest mock draft slots Peterson at No. 1 overall.

After No. 6 BYU's early upset loss to No. 11 Texas, 79-71, Dybantsa did all he could to lift the Cougars, finishing with a 35-point, 10-rebound double-double. However, his postseason ended early, leaving Boozer and Peterson with more opportunity to influence draft evaluations.

Boozer, meanwhile, remains in the tournament after leading No. 1 overall seed Duke to a 71-65 win over Siena with a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds.

With March Madness in full swing, Peterson remains undecided on declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, as recently as early March.

"I love Kansas, I love everything about being here and my team… Maybe one more year. I might run it back," per KSNT 27 Sports' Kole Emplit. 

Peterson will continue to lead his team into the second round, where it will face No. 5 St. John's.