Tremendous Bowl LX will happen subsequent weekend between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots within the ultimate sport of the NFL season. Nonetheless, the Tremendous Bowl for NBA Draft lovers, followers of tanking groups and NBA choice makers who hope the lottery balls fall their manner in Could will happen on Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas, when AJ Dybantsa and BYU play Darryn Peterson and Kansas.
In a traditional yr, getting a matchup of projected top-three picks is a delight. This season? It is a complete new degree. The race for the No. 1 decide is broad open heading into February. Ask 10 completely different individuals who they assume the order ought to be between Dybantsa, Peterson and the present Nationwide Participant of the Yr favourite Cameron Boozer at Duke, and you’re going to get a number of completely different solutions.
School basketball followers have been imagined to get this heavyweight matchup earlier this season when Duke confronted Kansas within the Champions Basic through the opening month of the season. Nonetheless, Peterson did not play as a result of a hamstring damage that stored him out of the lineup for almost a month. Even final weekend, Peterson missed Kansas’ showdown in opposition to Kansas State after struggling an ankle damage in opposition to Colorado.
It is a matchup faculty basketball followers have not seen in fairly a while. In truth, it could be some time earlier than we see one thing like this occur once more. In nook (bench) No. 1, you may have Peterson, who is taken into account one of many best guard prospects of this era. In nook (bench) No. 2, you may have Dybantsa, who was ranked because the No. 1 prospect in his class for fairly a while earlier than Peterson jumped him within the 247Sports rankings.
By all accounts, touchdown considered one of Peterson or Dybantsa within the draft would give a franchise a foundational constructing block for the longer term. This freshman class has already put up historic numbers, and this matchup is a fruits of the hype and stellar play we’ve seen so far.
Story of the tape
| Video games performed | 20 | 10 |
| Factors per sport | 23.6 | 21.6 |
| Rebounds per sport | 6.7 | 4.6 |
| Assists per sport | 3.6 | 1.9 |
| FG% | 53% | 49.3% |
| 3P% | 31.8% | 42% |
| FT% | 76.2% | 82% |
| Blocks per sport | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Steals per sport | 1.3 | 1 |
Historical past between Peterson and Dybantsa
Peterson completed because the No. 1 participant within the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, whereas Dybantsa was second. Dybantsa was initially imagined to be a member of the 2026 recruiting class however elected to reclassify to 2025 to be eligible for this summer season’s NBA Draft. At one level, the 2025 recruiting class had Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer and Cooper Flagg, who was the No. 1 general decide within the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg reclassified to be eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft. Had Flagg stayed on this class, it may’ve made what ought to be an all-time class even higher.
Peterson and Dybantsa have historical past relationship again to the highschool ranks. Peterson, who was a member of nationwide prep powerhouse Prolific Prep, completed with 58 factors, seven rebounds and 5 assists throughout an 88-86 win over Utah Prep, which is the varsity Dybantsa performed at throughout his ultimate season. Earlier than that, Dybantsa performed at Prolific Prep, however the two did not overlap.
In that sport, Dybantsa completed with 49 factors, 9 rebounds and three assists. The 2 additionally confronted off within the McDonald’s All-American Sport final spring. Peterson scored 18 factors and was named co-MVP of the occasion with Boozer. Dybantsa scored 13 in that sport.
Within the CBS Sports activities NBA Prospect Rankings, Peterson is No. 1 and Dybantsa is No. 2. If Peterson and Dybantsa go off the board this summer season with the primary two picks, it will mark the newest matchup of that since 2010.
Under is the historical past of when top-three picks confronted one another within the faculty ranks.
Duke vs. Baylor: 2025 NCAA Event
Matchup: Cooper Flagg (No. 1) vs. VJ Edgecombe (No. 3)
As my colleague Adam Finkelstein wrote final spring, Flagg and Edgecombe going head-to-head within the NCAA Event was probably the most star-powered NBA Draft matchup in years. After all, Flagg was chosen No. 1 general by the Dallas Mavericks, whereas Edgecombe was taken two picks later at No. 3 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Whereas Flagg and Edgecombe have been the headliners, this sport additionally featured two extra high 10 picks on the Duke aspect in Kon Knueppel (No. 4 general) and Khaman Maluach (No. 10).
The Blue Devils cruised to an 89-66 win over Baylor to advance to the Candy 16. Edgecombe completed with 16 factors and 6 rebounds in his ultimate collegiate sport. In the meantime, Flagg recorded 18 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in 29 minutes of play. With how good this draft class tasks to be, we may see one other matchup like this through the spring.
Gonzaga vs. Duke: 2021-22 common season
Matchup: Paolo Banchero (No. 1) vs. Chet Holmgren (No. 2)
The final matchup in faculty between the No. 1 and a couple of general picks from the identical draft got here in 2021, when Duke confronted Gonzaga. Not solely was it an elite prospect matchup between Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, however it was additionally a sport between two of the most effective groups within the sport. Gonzaga and Duke entered this sport 6-0.
Duke was capable of come away with an 84-81 win over the Bulldogs behind 21 factors from Banchero. Holmgren scored 16 factors and added seven rebounds within the loss to the Blue Devils. Duke misplaced within the Last 4 that season to North Carolina in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s ultimate season on the helm of this system.
UCLA vs. Washington: 2016-17 common season
Matchup: Markelle Fultz (No. 1) vs. Lonzo Ball (No. 2)
The final time the highest two picks from the identical draft confronted off in convention play, it’s important to return to 2017. On the time, Lonzo Ball was one of the crucial recognizable faces in basketball — at any degree — after rising to fame throughout his time at Chino Hills Excessive Faculty in Southern California.
UCLA and Washington confronted off twice through the 2016-17 marketing campaign. Within the first contest, Ball dropped 22 factors whereas Fultz scored 25 in a 107-66 win for UCLA. Within the second matchup, which befell in Southern California, Ball completed with 19 factors, eight assists and 7 rebounds throughout UCLA’s 98-66 win. Notably, Fultz did not play within the second sport.
Kansas vs. Duke: 2013-14 common season
Matchup: Andrew Wiggins (No. 1) and Joel Embiid (No. 3) vs. Jabari Parker (No. 2)
This sport featured the primary three picks within the 2014 NBA Draft. Kansas had Andrew Wiggins, who on the time was one of the crucial overvalued NBA prospects this decade, and Embiid, who went on to win NBA MVP. On the opposite aspect, Duke was led by Jabari Parker, who ended up going No. 2 general to the Milwaukee Bucks.
On this sport, Parker scored a game-high 27 factors and added 9 rebounds. Wiggins completed with 22 factors and eight rebounds in 25 minutes, whereas Embiid got here off the bench and logged simply 20 minutes. Kansas was capable of come away with a 94-83 win over Duke within the Champions Basic.
Kentucky vs. Florida: 2011-12 common season
Matchup: Anthony Davis (No. 1) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (No. 2) vs. Bradley Beal (No. 3)
Anthony Davis’ 2011-12 season is taken into account by most to be the most effective one-and-done yr in faculty basketball historical past. Davis helped Kentucky win its final nationwide title and gained Nationwide Participant of the Yr honors after a standout season en path to changing into the No. 1 general decide within the 2012 NBA Draft.
Florida and Kentucky performed one another 3 times that season — twice through the common season and as soon as within the SEC Event. Within the first matchup between the groups, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Florida 78-58 behind 16 factors from Davis and a double-double (13 factors, 13 rebounds) from Kidd-Gilchrist. Beal dropped 14 factors within the first matchup. Within the second sport, it was Davis who recorded a double-double (22 factors, 12 rebounds), whereas Beal completed with simply 5 factors on 1-of-10 taking pictures.
Duke vs. Arizona: 2011 NCAA Event
Story of the tape: Kyrie Irving (No. 1) vs. Derrick Williams (No. 2)
If you happen to do not keep in mind Irving’s profession at Duke, effectively, here’s a refresher: The No. 1 general decide within the 2011 NBA Draft appeared in simply 11 video games for (on the time) the reigning nationwide champions. Irving did return for the NCAA Event and dropped 28 factors in his ultimate collegiate sport.
Nonetheless, Irving was outplayed by Williams, who completed with 32 factors, 13 rebounds and two steals through the upset win over the Blue Devils. Williams raised his draft inventory throughout that event run and was chosen No. 2 general by the Minnesota Timberwolves.