BYU wing AJ Dybantsa claims the top spot in Sam Vecenie’s latest mock draft for The Athletic.
Vecenie notes that the 6’9″ freshman has delivered eye-catching production, possesses high-level athleticism, and has significantly improved his offensive reads and playmaking ability. However, he remains a developing defender.
Dybantsa is joined near the top of the board by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who checks in at No. 2, and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer at No. 3.
While all three are considered legitimate candidates to be selected first overall, Vecenie indicates that Dybantsa and Peterson are more frequently mentioned in that conversation.
North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson ranks as the clear No. 4 prospect in what Vecenie describes as an “absurdly good” group at the top of the class.
Following him is another cluster of highly regarded talents, Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., and Tennessee’s Nate Ament, all of whom are viewed as desirable additions.
Beyond the top tier, projecting picks from No. 10 through No. 30 becomes far more complicated.
Vecenie explains that uncertainty over which prospects might return to school, potentially capitalizing on name, image and likeness deals that could approach $4MM, makes the back half of the first round difficult to forecast.
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