The Big 12 Conference broke a league record in the first round of the NBA Draft on Tuesday night.
Before this year, the most players the league ever had selected in the first round was in 2010, when seven players were picked. That group included Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh (No. 6), Kansas’ Cole Aldrich (No. 11), Kansas’ Xavier Henry (No. 12), Texas’ Avery Bradley (No. 19), Oklahoma State’s James Anderson (No. 20), Iowa State’s Craig Brackins (No. 21) and Texas’ Damion James (No. 24).
On Tuesday the Big 12 had nine players selected. It had a big night. And it started with another Big 12 first — two Big 12 players selected with the first two picks of the draft. It was the kind of night that commissioner Brett Yormark dreams about and a night that solidified the Big 12 as college basketball’s top conference.
AJ From the Top
As many expected, the Washington Wizards selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick. He became the second Big 12 player in five years to be selected No. 1 overall. The Detroit Pistons selected former Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham.
It was also the first time in BYU history that a Cougar was selected No. 1 overall. He supplanted Shawn Bradley, who was taken No. 2 overall in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He had a terrific season for the Cougars, as he averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists as he helped BYU to the NCAA Tournament. Just about everyone knew that he was a one-and-done player and there was a good chance he would go No. 1 overall.
The Wizards need an overhaul. Dybantsa is just the first step.
DP to Utah
While the Utah Jazz ending up with Dybantsa would have been ideal, selecting Kansas guard Darryn Peterson No. 2 overall is a solid consolation prize. He’s the latest in a long line of Kansas players that have been selected in the first round. But, incredibly, he is the first Jayhawks player to selected No. 2 overall in school history.
The only two No. 1 overall picks in school history were Danny Manning (1988) and Andrew Wiggins (2014). It’s safe to say that without the cramping issues that plagued him as a freshman — and the controversy surrounding it — may have hindered his shot at the No. 1 overall pick, which most believed he would be this time last year.
Like Dybantsa, he is a walking bucket when he’s on. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists and his playing time picked up late in the season when the cramping issues abated.
Keeping it Top 10
The Big 12 finished with four players in the Top 10 draft picks when Houston guard Kingston Flemings went No. 8 overall to Atlanta and Arizona guard Brayden Burries was selected No. 10 by Milwaukee.
Outside of the Top 2, it wasn’t quite clear where the pair would be drafted. Flemings became the eighth Houston player to be selected in the Top 10 and the first since Jarace Walker in 2023. Burries became the 16th Arizona player to be selected in the Top 10 and the first since Bennedict Mathurin in 2022 at No. 6 overall.
Flemings played his way into the first round with a great freshman season in which he averaged 16.1 points and 5.2 assists per game as he moved into the point guard role. Burries did the same as he averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Big 12 Kept it Rolling
Outside the lottery, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson was selected at No. 18 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Baylor’s Christian Carr landed with the newly crowned world champion New York Knicks at No. 24 overall. The NBA circled back to Houston again as forward Chris Cenac Jr. was selected No. 27 overall by the Boston Celtics. Right after that, the Minnesota Timberwolves took Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson at No. 28 overall. The night wrapped up with the Dallas Mavericks taking Arizona forward Koa Peat at No. 30.
Carr joins a Knicks roster that has three former Big 12 players on it in West Virginia guard Miles McBride, Texas Tech/Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. and Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan.
The Big Takeaway
One thing stood out as the night wrapped up. The Big 12 didn’t dominate the draft with just one team. It dominated it with the entire league. Houston and Arizona — two schools that have been in the league three or fewer years — had two players selected. The other five schools with a player selected were Baylor, BYU, Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech. It was a blend of long-time schools and newcomers that spotlighted the league like never before.
