2026 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0
Officially kicking off the 2026 NBA Draft cycle is Logan Adams' first top-50 board, ranked and tiered. Subscribe to see past the top 10!
The 2026 NBA Draft cycle is unofficially, officially here. College basketball starts in a month, and with that, it’s time to start putting pen to paper on takes.
This first edition big board is one of my personal favorite practices of the season. It’s my chance to put down what my thoughts were entering the season, and compare them to what’s changed come draft time. Last year, just five of my first edition’s lottery-ranked prospects ended up in the top 14 at the end of the cycle: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, V.J. Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, and Noa Essengue.
With that said, I have no doubt this year will be the same. Every cycle has freshmen who disappoint and exceed expectations, unheralded transfers booming onto boards, and developmental stories finding their way into the mainstream. Being able to put my thoughts on a screen allows me to track where I was wrong and what I got right.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the rankings:
1. DARRYN PETERSON, KANSAS
It’s hard not to be unrealistic about Darryn Peterson. He’s the size of your prototypical two with all the skills of your ideal one. He has a ball-on-a-string handle, one of the highest releases of any guard prospect in recent memory, and could be the best defensive prospect of his size this decade.
Already, stories of Peterson’s practice exploits have begun to sound like the stuff of legend. He’s a folklore character in Lawrence, Kansas, already, with head coach Bill Self proclaiming him the best player he’s ever recruited, over the likes of Embiid and Wiggins that have graced Allen Fieldhouse’s floor boards on their way to All-Stardom.
2. CAMERON BOOZER, DUKE
Bigs like Cameron Boozer don’t come often. In fact, he’s so rare for his size he might not even be a big. All offseason, Duke’s referred to him as a wing, side-by-side with Durham legends Jayson Tatum and Paolo Banchero.
As it stands, however, Boozer most easily projects as a big. He’s incredibly agile and strong, with a post-up and driving game that blend as seamlessly as red and blue making purple. He’s dominant on the boards and throws the crispest outlet passes from a teenager since Kevin Love.
3. AJ DYBANTSA, BRIGHAM YOUNG
While I’d still consider myself a major believer in AJ Dybantsa, separated by a tier from everyone below him, though slightly (but definitively) below Peterson and Boozer.
Dybantsa’s skill set is undeniable. He’s a legitimate 6-foot-10 wing who moves like a much smaller player with elite burst and flexibility. That combination of size and tools makes him the most dangerous scorer in the class, with the ability to get to the rim at will, finish above it, or just shoot over whatever smaller defender is taking a stab at guarding him.
Dybantsa has some areas for growth, notably in the tightness of his handle and consistency of his outside shot, but the woes stemming from his outlier-bad FIBA shooting are exaggerated.
4. MIKEL BROWN JR., LOUISVILLE
There’s an All-Star caliber point guard in Mikel Brown Jr., and it’s not that hard to see it. Snubbed from a FIBA U19 MVP after leading the team in points and assists per game, Brown has only continued to add to his game and his frame.
Once considered undersized, Brown shot up to 6 feet, 5 inches, with absurd athletic gains visible in his on-court antics. He’s always been incredibly skilled, able to score in isolation with a quick trigger from way out of town and craft in his handle that has made him a slithery cover inside the arc, but his newfound explosiveness has only added to his ability to go up and over the rim. He may be the most skilled passer in the class as well, with the ability to fire feeds from all over the court with either hand.
5. JAYDEN QUAINTANCE, KENTUCKY
Jayden Quaintance’s sole season at Arizona State, which he opted out of his senior year of high school to participate in, was the perfect showcase of everything he is and isn’t, as well as what he can be. His elite defense, offensive shortcomings, and untapped potential showed the world exactly who he is before falling to an ACL tear late in the season.
Quaintance, when he returns, will be primed to succeed in a Mark Pope offense that maximized the tools of Amari Williams on both ends of the floor last year, turning him into one of the best passing and defensive bigs in the country. Quaintance’s tools are better and his potential higher, all while he’ll spend the entirety of his sophomore season as an 18-year-old.
6. NATE AMENT, TENNESSEE
Nate Ament is maybe one of the most incorrectly perceived prospects in the class, often pigeonholed as a tough-shot chucker without a league-ready frame. While Ament will need to add weight, the description of his skill set could not be less true.
While he can fall into a tough shot or two as he adds to his frame, Ament’s skill set is far more varied. He’s an elite spot-up shooter who can attack a closeout with precision, while running a pick-and-roll when needed. He’s a more than willing passer who finds teammates in the open and half-court with frequency. However, where Ament could surprise the most is on defense, where he’s a strong on-ball defender with the length to act as a serviceable secondary rim protector.
7. BENNETT STIRTZ, IOWA
Bennett Stirtz stole the heart of scouts and NCAA fans alike in the NCAA Tournament, where he led a surprise Drake squad to a second-round battle with Texas Tech, an Elite Eight squad that finished No. 8 in the AP Poll.
Stirtz likely could have gone first round last year, but decided to make a move to the high majors, where he will return under coach Ben McCollum at Iowa. Last season, Stirtz operated a slow-paced offense where he played nearly 40 minutes a night. He’ll certainly have to adjust in Big Ten play, but Stirtz has the skill set to do it.
8. KARIM LOPEZ, NZ BREAKERS
Karim Lopez is someone who's risen on my board at lightning pace. Before the season, I saw him as a high-caliber athlete who lacked key basketball skills, though that might have been because of my own lack of attention.
Lopez is indeed an absurd athlete, but much more than that. He uses it in the open court like a seasoned pro and as a dynamic weapon in the pick-and-roll, catching lobs and finding open teammates when stopping short. He’s a versatile defender on top of that, making plays in passing lanes and above the rim. Sure, he has shooting woes, but the mechanics themselves aren’t damning by any stretch.
9. TOUNDE YESSOUFOU, BAYLOR
Tounde Yessoufou is an imperfect wing, but one with tons of tools and growth over the last year to make him one of the more exciting prospects in this year’s class. It all stems from his athleticism, which allows him to make plays above the rim and leave defenders in the dust on drives. He’s exceedingly strong as well, bashing players out of the way when he can’t directly blow by them.
The shooting has been the recent development for Yessoufou. He’s become far more efficient from outside over the past year, blending in savvy pull-ups and a healthy diet of spot-ups into his diet of strength- and burst-created buckets around the rim. The handle needs to continue improving for him to be an offensive focal point at the highest level, but with his tools and track record of improvement, it’s more than possible.
10. KOA PEAT, ARIZONA
Koa Peat is one of the more prolific scorers in this year’s class, having spent years at the high school level looking like a man amongst boys. With bruising shoulders and a strong core, he’s developed a deep arsenal based on bully ball principles, slowly but surely developing finesse with a soft mid-range jumper and a slick passing repertoire.
I hold questions about whether Peat has the outside game necessary for a 6-foot-8 forward to be productive at the NBA level. He shot zero threes in FIBA U19 play and was weighed down in efficiency by sub-60 percent free-throw shooting. If he can stretch his game to the 3-point line, he’ll go from a bully ball bruiser to a truly special scoring threat, but he has a long way to go to make that a reality.
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