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CHICAGO — They positioned A.J. Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson on podiums a few feet apart in the center of a hotel ballroom, their backs to one another with only two NBA Draft Combine backdrops separating them.
But two of the favorites to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft needed only to walk in to demonstrate the differences teams must evaluate at this annual pre-draft convention of front office personnel and in the weeks ahead before the first round begins on June 23.
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Peterson arrived first wearing the standard issue combine sweatsuit the majority of prospects don throughout the week. Dybantsa walked in a few minutes later in a brown pinstripe suit. It stood out and it was intentional, the BYU star explained. His father told him this is the first job interview of his life, “so come professional, come in a suit,” Dybantsa said.
But he also came with a clear goal in mind.
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See NBA mock draft first‑round projections
1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa
TEAM: BYU | POSITION: Wing | BORN: Massachusetts | HEIGHT: 6-9 | DRAFT AGE: 19 – The Wizards have the second-worst offense in the NBA and could instantly inject life into their offense by selecting AJ Dybantsa, the NCAA scoring champion and Julius Erving Award winner. He emphasized that point during his one game for BYU in March Madness, putting up 35 points and 10 rebounds. The Big 12 Rookie of the Year led the nation in unassisted points scored (680) by a wide margin this season, per CBB Analytics. The emerging star also had 40 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 10 and averaged 28.8 points per game over his final 17 appearances.
1 / 30
See NBA mock draft first‑round projections
1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa
TEAM: BYU | POSITION: Wing | BORN: Massachusetts | HEIGHT: 6-9 | DRAFT AGE: 19 – The Wizards have the second-worst offense in the NBA and could instantly inject life into their offense by selecting AJ Dybantsa, the NCAA scoring champion and Julius Erving Award winner. He emphasized that point during his one game for BYU in March Madness, putting up 35 points and 10 rebounds. The Big 12 Rookie of the…
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Publish date : 2026-05-13 20:36:00
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