Peterson, Dibantsa, Peat, Wilson… Great firsts for NCAA prospects

Avant entry into the leadership of the duke and Cameron Boozerthe top picks in the 2026 draft officially made their NCAA debuts on Monday. And for the (very) temporary number 1 Darrin Peterson with Kansas as for AJ Dibants at BIU, everything went according to plan. The two young stars shone from the start.

Darrin Peterson very “easy”

Darrin Peterson’s first game against Kansas lasted just 22 minutes, as the Jayhawks quickly ended the affair against Green Bay (94–51). At halftime, the deficit was already 21 points, mainly thanks to 18 points from the promising freshman (7/11 shooting, including three threes), along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. The former high schooler showed great ease in his signature style of play.

“It was literally the easiest 21 points in 21 minutes of play I’ve ever seen.” reacted Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb. “I thought our guys defended him well… And he didn’t break a sweat.” “He makes the game look easy, but it’s not.” summed up Kansas coach Bill Self. “In the first period, he was aggressive in the circle and played very well. He’s a good player. His control is much more advanced than his age suggests. Opposing teams are going to do a good job defending him. They’re going to have games without him, and things like that happen. He’s young, but he’s more mature than any 18-year-old.”

Darin Peterson also showed great complicity in the game with the Congolese interior Flora of Bidungathe best scorer of the match with 23 points.

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Dibanca deciding, Peat takes down the defending champion

AJ Dibantsa had to fight harder for his first outing with Brigham Young University. The winger showed a little extravagance (2/7 on free throws), but above all a lot of talent in his team’s victory against Villanova (71-66). Facing much tougher opposition than Peterson faced on Monday, he was also decisive, scoring six of his 10 points in the stretch that gave BIU the lead with six minutes left. AJ Dibanca finished with 21 points (9/18), 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

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The most impressive “debutant” of the evening, however, was neither Peterson nor Dibanca. Whoa Peaforward from Arizona, made a sensational debut against the outgoing champion Florida. He finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in a prestigious win against the Gators (93-87).

The former No. 3 high school scorer apparently had a message to deliver to coach Tommy Lloyd, with whom he also spent the summer at the behest of World Champion Team USA’s U19 team. He only had limited playing time on a team full of great talent.

“I feel like I’ve been kind of forgotten.” he explained in the interview at Hoops HQ. “I’m just trying to remind people who I am and show them what I’m worth.” “It’s a night of explosion for him if you can put it that way” Lloyd smiled after the meeting. “Everyone knows him, but no one has really analyzed and observed his game. And he is a special player.” In a nationally televised game, Koa Peet became the second player in Big 12 Conference history to score 30 or more points in his debut, following Michael Beasley in 2007 (32 points).

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Among other players to watch for a possible Top 10 spot in the next draft, Caleb Wilson he also wrote his name in the history books on the North Carolina side. The forward became just the fifth player in Tar Heels history to surpass 20 points in his first outing. In his team’s big 94-54 win against Central Arkansas, he had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 25 minutes. Tennessee’s new star Nate AmentThe 6-foot-11 wing player flirted with a double-double (18 points – 9 rebounds) in a 76-61 win over Mercer.