The 2026 NBA Draft will be remembered as a watershed moment for the Big 12, after the conference delivered a record nine selections in the first round, the most ever by any league in a single draft.
A Historic Surge
The excitement peaked when BYU’s AJ Dybantsa slid to the top of the board, becoming the conference’s first ever No. 1 overall pick, while KU’s Darryn Peterson followed at No. 2, marking the first time the Big 12 held the first two selections.
The cascade of talent continued with Houston’s Kingston Flemings landing at No. 8, Arizona’s Brayden Burries at No. 10, Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson at No. 18, Baylor’s Cameron Carr at No. 24, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 27, Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson at No. 28, and Arizona’s Koa Peat at No. 30, giving the league four players inside the top ten and a total of nine in the opening round.
Barclays Center Takes Over
To mark the occasion, the Big 12 staged a vibrant takeover of Barclays Center, flooding the venue with conference colors, player appearances and interactive fan zones that turned the draft night into a celebration of the league’s rising profile.
The festivities will carry into the following night as the second round gets underway at 7 p.m. CT, broadcast live on ESPN, promising another round of surprises and stories from a conference that has firmly positioned itself among the NBA’s elite talent pipelines.