BYU star A.J. Dybantsa amongst three freshman to publish 40-point video games on the identical day

When individuals discuss how the 2026 NBA Draft class is shaping as much as be one thing greater than particular, that is the type of stuff they’re speaking about.

Saturday noticed three completely different freshman end with greater than 40 factors: No. 13 BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with 43 towards Utah; No. 6 Houston’s Kingston Flemings with 42 factors towards No. 12 Texas Tech; and No. 11 Illinois’ Keaton Wagler with 46 towards No. 4 Purdue. All three performances set a brand new freshman scoring document for his or her program.

It’s a day that would very nicely be unprecedented. Per ESPN, it is the primary time in no less than 20 years that three freshmen every scored 40 factors or extra on the identical day.

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In the case of Dybantsa, Utah coach Alex Jensen had some excessive reward after the sport, calling him a “generational talent” and saying it’s the first time all season he’s seen his own players quit down the stretch.

Oh, and No. 5 Duke’s Cameron Boozer posted 32 factors and No. 20 Arkansas’ Darius Acuff posted 31. So that is additionally 5 freshmen with no less than 30 factors on Saturday.

Each of the 5 above gamers have been projected by numerous retailers as lottery picks for the 2026 NBA Draft, with Dybantsa and Boozer standing out as potential candidates for the primary total choose. Their major competitors, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, was out with an ankle damage Saturday.

There are lots extra star freshman prospects in school basketball this season, together with No. 22 UNC’s Caleb Wilson, who posted a ho-hum 20 factors in a win over No. 14 Virginia.

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It’s turning into fairly clear that even with a lottery stopping any workforce from guaranteeing itself a top-four choose, being on the prime of the percentages might nonetheless provide a franchise-changing consequence. For instance, the Washington Wizards, homeowners of the NBA’s worst document at 10-34, at the moment have a 14% likelihood to choose first, 13.4% for second, 12.7% for third, 12% for fourth and 47.9% for fifth, and might’t choose decrease than that.

That offers them higher than 50% odds for one in all Dybantsa, Boozer, Peterson or Wilson, with loads of fallback choices at fifth.