The NBA Draft has arrived at last, and it will soon be revealed whether former Kansas guard Darryn Peterson becomes the first Jayhawk selected No. 1 overall since Andrew Wiggins in 2014, or merely the highest-drafted Jayhawk since Wiggins.
The debate between Peterson and former BYU forward AJ Dybantsa for the top spot in their draft class has raged for years, and the players will inevitably be compared throughout their professional careers as well.
Which one of them earns the title of No. 1 pick, and so goes to the Washington Wizards, will become public shortly after the draft begins at 7 p.m. Central time on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“It would mean a lot, just like I said, (with) the hard work growing up,” Peterson said in a recently released interview with NBA TV. “I dedicated my life to this, and I think it’d be more big for my family than me. Wherever I go, I’m pleased. I’m just happy to get drafted.”
Dybantsa, who was the nation’s leading scorer with 25.5 points per game at BYU to go with 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists, is the favorite to go first overall. As of Monday afternoon, he had minus-600 odds on FanDuel, meaning an implied 85.7% chance to be Washington’s pick.
The Utah Jazz hold the second pick. ESPN reported on June 15 that Peterson did not intend to meet with any teams other than the Wizards and that he believed he would be the top pick. On Monday, though, he told reporters at a predraft media availability that while he did not visit Salt Lake City in person, he did meet with the Jazz, who hold the No. 2 pick.
As for specifically working out only with the Wizards, he said it was “just a decision that was made, but definitely not dodging any team. Whoever takes me, I’m going to come in and be delighted to be there. And wherever that happens to be, they’ll get the best me.”
Some still seem to believe that the Canton, Ohio, native can go No. 1 overall. That group includes Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports: “It might be a shocker to some if Peterson goes here, but I personally think he is a better fit in Washington than Utah.” But another holdout has changed back to projecting Dybantsa as the top pick. SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell, who briefly had Peterson in the top spot, wrote on Sunday that Dybantsa is a better fit and “has fewer questions about his mental makeup,” while adding that if the Wizards wanted Peterson, they could have been trying to make a trade with the Jazz.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo noted on Monday that the “razor-thin” margin between Dybantsa and Peterson could allow roster fit to enter the equation as the Wizards make their decision. With Trae Young reportedly set to re-sign with Washington, that development “has to be considered as the Wizards weigh which direction to take with their roster.” Woo still has them opting for Dybantsa, with Peterson headed to Utah.
“It fits great,” he told reporters. “I feel like I’m a player that you can plug in on any team and I can go help the team win.”
While Peterson’s time at KU was brief — he played a total of 24 games as a Jayhawk, including nine at Allen Fieldhouse — he added that some of the staff could be in attendance on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center for his big moment.
