Below, we\u2019ll break down the top four prospects who played in March Madness and offer scouting notes on 15 others. We\u2019ll start with the player who\u2019s No. 1 on my board \u2026<\/p>\n
Dybantsa shows why he should be the top pick<\/p>\n
Given that the NCAA Tournament often acts as a final exam for players, it\u2019s interesting to see how players grow and improve throughout the year. And in Dybantsa\u2019s case, the areas where he\u2019s gotten better are undeniable. He was a flawed player entering college and will also exit with things he has to work on, but he showed this season that his ceiling remains incredibly high.<\/p>\n
Texas coach Sean Miller deployed a sharp game plan in the Longhorns\u2019 79-71 first-round win over BYU, sending a double team every time Dybantsa would catch in the post or drive to the rim. Typically, Matas Vokietaitis would help off the Cougars center to clog the lane on Dybantsa\u2019s drives. Then, on his ball-screens, Texas would always send two players to the ball and blitz him to try and force it out of his hands. This strategy was effective because BYU didn\u2019t have enough firepower around Dybantsa, yet the star freshman still dropped 35 points and 10 rebounds. It also led to a fun mid-game interview with Miller, when he was asked how to slow Dybantsa down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we can,\u201d Miller said after Dybantsa\u2019s first 14 points. \u201cWe have to do the best job we can, and we can\u2019t accumulate fouls that won\u2019t allow our team to be the best we can be. We\u2019re trying hard; I\u2019m not giving in. But there\u2019s just very little you can do with that right there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flashes of superstardom in this game were exceptional. Dybantsa\u2019s shot-making from the midrange was absurd. He knocked down multiple contested jumpers by using his entire athletic 6-foot-9 frame to elevate over the top of defenders and knock down shots. There were shots, like the one you\u2019ll see below, that I think only he could make in the entirety of college basketball.<\/p>\n
AJ Dybantsa fades from midrange \ud83c\udfaf#MarchMadness<\/a> @BYUMBB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QRX2xVauzD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Dybantsa also showcased his ability to get into the lane and use terrific footwork on his gathers toward the rim to get defenders off-balance. He utilized everything from Eurosteps to step-throughs to up-and-unders to find ways to get to the rim. Dybantsa\u2019s patience and footwork in ball screens and drives got significantly better throughout the season. Last summer with Team USA at the Under-19 World Cup and early in this season, teams could bother him by sending two players to the ball or by digging into his drives. Oftentimes, he would simply act as a downhill freight train toward the rim and throw up a highly contested shot while trying to draw contact. His decision-making is still not perfect in all these instances, but the growth from then to now is clear. He has a better understanding of how to play off two feet, how to play on balance and how to use his massive frame to get more efficient shots or to draw fouls.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a great example, where instead of just flying into the help defender, he uses his left foot as his pivot foot, stops, allows the Texas player to fall for the fake, hits the step-through and then uses all his length to get to the rim to finish.<\/p>\n AJ steps through for ANOTHER tough bucket \ud83e\udea3#MarchMadness<\/a> @BYUMBB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/W0uEC5Mwkk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n We didn\u2019t see much of the passing that Dybantsa showcased during the second half of the year in this game, as he averaged 4.3 assists in his final 22 games before this one. But we did see that he occasionally still struggles with his decision-making on drives when he faces those doubles. He turned it over five times against Texas and had a couple of poor reads in which he did not see where help defenders were coming from. The flashes of court vision were there in the second half of the year, but he still averaged 3.5 turnovers in his final 13 games. Given the growth we saw throughout the year, I believe we can project him improving in this regard. But it\u2019s going to take some time and patience.<\/p>\n The bigger issues that I have with Dybantsa come on defense. We didn\u2019t quite see enough from him in terms of his understanding how to rotate across the court on defense and make an impact player on that end. All of the tools are there for Dybantsa to be an excellent defensive player. He\u2019s long and athletic, strong and physical and doesn\u2019t back down from contact. But he needs to fix his tendency to hop into his defensive slides as opposed to just sliding along the ground to maintain his athleticism and balance. He also needs to showcase better recognition for how the opposing team is trying to attack, and he needs to get to his help rotations quicker. I\u2019ve broken down that tape several times this year on my Game Theory Podcast; here are<\/a> a\u00a0few of the<\/a> full-game breakdowns<\/a> for you to watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n But I\u2019ve landed (for now) on him as the No. 1 prospect because Dybantsa\u2019s highs are the highest of any player in the class, and his issues are the most fixable. He\u2019s not as consistent as Cameron Boozer right now, but Boozer\u2019s lack of vertical pop at around 6-foot-8 \u2014 in conjunction with his questionable pull-up game off more than one dribble \u2014 makes me wonder how close we are to his ceiling already. And while I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen the best of Darryn Peterson this year, Dybantsa\u2019s tools at 6-9 with explosive athleticism and power now blended with a more consistent brand of patience are more impressive than Peterson\u2019s at 6-6 as a similarly scoring-inclined player.<\/p>\n Part of the reason that I had Dybantsa at No. 3 entering the year behind Peterson and Boozer was that I thought he stagnated a bit at Utah Prep last year and didn\u2019t showcase much in-season growth. But he showed at BYU that he\u2019s not done working and growing as a player. I appreciated that even though Dybantsa came into the season as a 20-point-per-game scoring machine, he improved where he needed and became a 27-point, four-assist-per-game dominant force.<\/p>\n \n The Darryn Peterson experience at Kansas left just about everybody confused. (William Purnell \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Peterson leaves scouts with many questions<\/p>\n We\u2019ve dug into the Darryn Peterson injury situation enough this year, so I just want to talk about what we saw from him on the court, especially since he played at least 28 minutes in each of his last nine games. He logged 37 minutes while dropping 28 points in Kansas\u2019 first-round win against Cal Baptist and then had 21 points in 36 minutes in the Jayhawks\u2019 loss to St. John\u2019s on Sunday.<\/p>\n My biggest takeaway is that I don\u2019t know exactly what to take away from the whole Peterson experience. He is undeniably a massively talented player who is a shoo-in to go somewhere in the top five of the draft as long as his medical checks come back clear. Yet, even his 49 points in two tournament games raised questions about what he does well, what his strengths are and whether he was utilized properly this season by Bill Self.<\/p>\n I raise that final question about Peterson after the St. John\u2019s game. My opinion on Peterson entering the season was that he was a dynamic combo guard who could play both on and off the ball. He showed an immense amount of improvement as a ball-screen playmaker and passer in his final high school season at Prolific Prep (here\u2019s some tape<\/a> that I broke down explaining<\/a> what I saw). But this season at Kansas, Self used him almost exclusively off the ball. In the end, I think that was a mistake.<\/p>\n I can understand the thought process behind why Self played Peterson more off the ball. First, Peterson being in and out of the lineup had to make it more difficult to integrate him as a primary ballhandler. Second, the team\u2019s roster construction was an issue from a spacing and shooting perspective. By putting Peterson more on the ball, you\u2019re taking the ball out of Melvin Council Jr.\u2019s hands. Given that Council isn\u2019t a great shooter from distance, teams could play off him and crowd the paint even more.<\/p>\n But when we finally saw Self put the ball in Peterson\u2019s hands in the second half against St. John\u2019s, it was a great example of why the team needed to lean into giving its best player the ball more often, instead of running him more off pindowns and flares to create shots. Kansas\u2019 offense flowed much more smoothly with Peterson running the show. The Jayhawks averaged 0.703 points per possession in the first half and 1.3 ppp in the second half. Even though he finished the game with zero assists, Peterson made several passes that led to hockey assists or created open shots that his teammates missed. He finished eight possessions out of ball screens or dribble-handoffs in the second half as a scorer.<\/p>\n From an NBA standpoint, it was a good reminder that even if Peterson didn\u2019t shoot particularly strong percentages this year (he finished at 43.8 percent overall), he\u2019s still a remarkably gifted offensive player who didn\u2019t play in the role expected of him this season. Still, his performance deserves scrutiny even accounting for the role and his health. Peterson didn\u2019t consistently create paint touches. He was a very perimeter-based scorer, and multiple NBA scouts texted me over the weekend asking if I was worried about his tendencies as a shot \u201cchucker.\u201d I\u2019m less worried about his passing numbers than many, but scouts have brought up the fact that he posted just 38 assists on the season.<\/p>\n Peterson could end up anywhere from No. 1 to No. 5 on my board. There are clearly still some medicals that need reviewing and some intel NBA front offices must dig into before they feel comfortable with where they rank him. But it\u2019s not just the strange health situation that has scouts\u2019 minds in a pretzel right now regarding Peterson.<\/p>\n Acuff is utterly dominant despite defensive issues<\/p>\n Every time I talk to an NBA scout or executive about Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., the conversation inevitably turns to his defense or his size (he\u2019s listed at 6-3, 190 pounds). Those concerns are valid, and it\u2019s become a popular talking point among Acuff that the NBA doesn\u2019t play defense anyway. The reality is that it\u2019s harder than ever to defend in the NBA because of the modern uptick in shooting leading to larger swaths of space that teams need to cover. Additionally, the rules don\u2019t favor defenders or the point of attack. Yet, the top-five teams in defensive rating are the five NBA teams with the most wins this season.<\/p>\n Defense does matter in the NBA, which is why teams have some trepidation about Acuff. He\u2019s been bad on that end this season, and the Razorbacks\u2019 second-round win against High Point didn\u2019t assuage any concerns. Watching diminutive High Point guard Rob Martin repeatedly get by him or maintain his advantage in ball screens consistently was another eye-opener. Acuff isn\u2019t particularly fluid through his hips and tends to get clipped on screens, and his effort in recovery can also be lacking. He\u2019s also not that impactful away from the ball. To become a positive NBA player worthy of a top-10 pick, Acuff has to be an outlier star offensive creator in the vein of a Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson or Damian Lillard.<\/p>\n The good news for Acuff? We\u2019re running out of reasons to think he won\u2019t be that outlier star offensive creator. I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve ever watched a more dominant performance in college basketball from a freshman guard who\u2019s still a teenager (he turns 20 in November). I don\u2019t think he has the athletic upside of Lillard, Donovan Mitchell or Derrick Rose, but he\u2019s more advanced with his footwork and overall polish than any guard I\u2019ve seen at this level at this age in the decade that I\u2019ve been doing this.<\/p>\n Acuff does an incredible job of getting into the paint, using his frame to shield defenders and maintaining his advantage. He can make shots going to his right or left from the midrange or from 3. He can play off two feet and keep his balance or go up off one foot if he has to beat a rotating defender toward the rim. He makes floaters. He can hit fadeaways if he needs a bit of space to shoot over the top of defenders, or he can speed up his release if he needs to do so from 3. Acuff never seems off-balance, which allows him to consistently threaten the defense from essentially everywhere within 30 feet of the rim.<\/p>\n Can Acuff be the kind of star offensive creator who doesn\u2019t just score but also elevates another star next to him? Removing Stephen Curry from the equation, I\u2019m highly skeptical that a small guard can lead an NBA team to a title. But that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re not important or needle-movers for organizations. The best star guards on title teams \u2014 think Kyrie Irving, Jamal Murray and Kyle Lowry in recent memory, and plenty of others in the past \u2014 are comfortable both on and off the ball, make good decisions, shoot it and can take over when needed. Acuff has shown he can do all these things.<\/p>\n Yes, Acuff needs to get better on defense. That\u2019s undeniable. But his offensive game is also undeniable and makes him a truly special prospect. I dislike small guards more than just about any evaluator that I know. And I still can\u2019t help but have Acuff at No. 5 on my board. The offensive firepower is just too overwhelming. He\u2019s as complete an offensive guard to enter the NBA as I\u2019ve seen in a while.<\/p>\n \n Cameron Boozer has led Duke to the Sweet 16. (ob Donnan \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Boozer continues to produce; skeptics remain<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure Cameron Boozer feels like there\u2019s nothing more he can do to help his standing with NBA scouts. Boozer averaged 20.5 points, 12 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, a block and shot 52.4 percent from the field in leading Duke to the Sweet 16.Yet, the tenor of the conversations I had with scouts turned far more to how Siena and TCU seemed to bother him, after Virginia made him uncomfortable in the ACC tournament final.<\/p>\n On some level, I understand the consternation. There were moments throughout these last three games that showcased Boozer\u2019s limitations athletically, particularly his lack of vertical explosiveness. Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso\u2019s length caused Boozer significant issues around the basket in a 3-of-17 shooting performance. Both Siena and TCU found ways to frustrate him into five turnovers in each game with timely double teams. I\u2019ve heard people compare Boozer to a younger Nikola Joki\u0107; the key difference is that Joki\u0107 is around 6-foot-10 without shoes with a 7-4 wingspan, while Boozer is expected to measure around 6-8 without shoes with a 7-foot wingspan. That\u2019s a massive size difference in NBA terms.<\/p>\n Boozer is finishing at a 60.4 percent clip at the rim this season in half-court settings, per Synergy. That\u2019s a good number for a teenager who is as multi-faceted in how he creates those shots as Boozer is, but not an elite one. But more than the offensive end, where I hear significant concern from NBA personnel is where Boozer fits in on defense. It has become apparent that Boozer is a four-man who needs to play next to a legitimate five because of his lack of vertical athleticism. He struggles to protect the rim, which is why Duke\u2019s defense is drastically better when Patrick Ngongba is out there. Maliq Brown is a great defender, but he\u2019s not a primary interior anchor, which often results in Boozer defending fives when they\u2019re on the court together. In the 544 minutes that Boozer has played with Brown when Ngongba is not on the court, Duke allows 100.4 points per 100 possessions, with the opposition shooting 63.5 percent at the rim. When Ngongba plays with Boozer without Brown, opposing teams shoot just 56.9 percent at the rim, and the Blue Devils only allow 89 points per 100 possessions, per CBB Analytics.<\/p>\n Boozer has also not been particularly good defending away from the rim, either. He\u2019s an excellent communicator and often acts as a back-line captain, but scouts have worries about his lateral footspeed and especially his ability to go north-south and change directions on defense. In an increasingly perimeter-oriented NBA, if he\u2019s at the four, he likely will have to deal with wing-type players who run him through screens off the ball and try to get loose that way. That doesn\u2019t feel likely to be effective for him.<\/p>\n The question for teams revolves around how they will field effective lineups on both ends with Boozer. Defensively, you want a five-man who can protect the rim. But offensively, to maximize Boozer\u2019s strength and power on the interior, you probably want a perimeter-based five who can either shoot or really pass it like Ngongba and Brown do (the passing from Duke\u2019s frontcourt this year, Boozer included, has been a drastically underrated part of their success). It\u2019s a very similar predicament to what teams faced with Kevin Love in the modern era.<\/p>\n The good news is that Boozer is so advanced and versatile offensively that he can counteract what happens on defense by dominating games on offense. He\u2019s more advanced than Love was at the same age in all of the modern ways required to be a star NBA player. The way he took over for Duke to slow down Siena\u2019s run in the first half by playing in ball screens with guard screeners was exceptional. The way he took over the second half against TCU both on and off the ball on offense was wildly impressive. He creates significantly more advantages than he gives away in and will always help you win the possession battle through his elite-level rebounding and hand-eye coordination.<\/p>\n A funny conversation that repeatedly comes up among scouts is that they don\u2019t want Boozer to go to one of the best teams in the league. They would be terrified if he ended up on, say, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics or San Antonio Spurs, because they know those teams would understand how to get the most out of his game. It looks like none of those three organizations will get the chance at him, given the way the LA Clippers (the Thunder own their first-rounder) and Atlanta Hawks (the Spurs own their first) have turned their seasons around. But that conversation says a lot about who Boozer is and how valuable he could be. He\u2019s still in my top three in that same group with Dybantsa and Peterson.<\/p>\n Ten Other Notes From The Weekend<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pete-scaled.jpeg\")
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