On Saturday, fans witnessed one of the most anticipated college matchups in recent memory when the Kansas Jayhawks took on the BYU Cougars. It was one of the rare moments in history when the consensus top two picks in the overall draft battled against one another in Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.
Allen Fieldhouse was electric the whole game as Kansas, led by Peterson, dominated from the beginning and amassed as much as a 21-point lead. However, the Cougars tried to stage a comeback in the late stages, trimming the lead to single digits, but eventually ran out of gas to fall, 90-82.
However, the real story of the whole game was Peterson vs. Dybantsa. Many fans and scouts watched to see how they’d react in such a high-pressure game. Among those in attendance was Kansas legend Paul Pierce, who spoke on the “No Fouls Given” podcast to express his excitement about the future of both Darryn and AJ.
“I saw two major pros that are going to play against each other for a long time,”said Pierce.
“I saw AJ Dybantsa, who’s 6’9”, 6’10” with a lot of skills. I saw Peterson, who really took the challenge at home in front of the home crowd, and it was amazing to see two young prospects who are going to be lottery picks,” he added.
Peterson outgunned Dybantsa
At the end of the game, Peterson left no doubts as to who really deserved to be the NBA’s next No. 1 overall pick despite playing his season-low 20 minutes per game. He tallied 18 points, all in the first half, on a wildly efficient 6-8 shooting, including a rim-rattling poster on two BYU defenders as well as multiple instances when he showed his exquisite shotmaking with Dybantsa on him.
darryn peterson poster; byu vs kansas pic.twitter.com/X2Swj2fejl
— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) January 31, 2026
Different pic.twitter.com/RPZV2mZX36
— We good? (@gifhawk2) January 31, 2026
Darryn exited the game a few minutes into the second half due to nursing an ankle sprain, but his impact was already felt. The game wasn’t finished, but the discussion among NBA scouts and fans at the venue and at home about who the top pick should be was already set in stone.
“I saw every NBA scout in there. At halftime, I say, ‘Guys, we’ve seen enough. We know who the number one pick is,” shared Pierce.
Meanwhile, Dybantsa had a solid outing as well, finishing with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Many fans were disappointed with his performance, especially considering that he didn’t make a shot until seven minutes into the first half. It wasn’t the 23.3 points per game fans are accustomed to seeing from AJ, but it certainly was a definitive moment for the freshman.
Dybantsa, obviously, he could have played better. You understand, we expect so much, but these guys are freshmen,” said Pierce. “People were criticizing him, but he’s never been in this type of environment.”
The prelude to the future of the NBA
While fans had plenty to say about the performances of both Peterson and Dybantsa, there was no denying that the players and the teams delivered in a moment that captured nearly everyone’s attention. Beyond the headlining duo, several other prospects also made their presence felt, including Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller, and Robert White III.
More than just a showcase of the projected No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the upcoming draft, the game served as a reminder of why the college level still demands attention. These players represent the future of the NBA. Despite the ongoing debate surrounding NIL in recent years, the night proved that the competitiveness and true essence of college basketball remain very much alive.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.