Another season under the Kevin Young regime is in the books, and now it's time to evaluate the second batch of NBA prospects developed in BYU basketball's pseudo-NBA Boot Camp under the former Phoenix Suns assistant.
The optics were strong enough to lure AJ Dybantsa, a consensus top-two player in the recruiting class of 2025, even before European point guard Egor Demin jumped to 8th overall on draft night, but it's time to take stock of the current market, gaze over the landscape of NBA Mock Drafts and review just how well BYU's NBA development program has fared in its second year of implementation.
AJ Dybantsa in NBA Mock Drafts
AJ has been the obvious top pick for months, if you believe the leaked reports of NBA general managers foaming at the mouth at the prospects of adding the 6'9" 19-year-old superstar with the refined scoring palette of an 8-year NBA veteran. What he (partially) lacks in pure explosion and athleticism, he makes up for in heaps with touch, feel for the game, and the competitive drive to will his team forward, even when surrounded by -- with all due respect to the Division 1 athletes on BYU's bench this season -- subpar assistance outside of Rob Wright III and Richie Saunders.
Dybantsa has been lauded as a potential franchise-savior. A prospect capable of elevating his team to championship contention as he collects annual All-Star nods and potentially even MVP votes down the line. Peterson and Boozer have their fans, but Dybantsa brings so much to the table -- and promises even more -- that he'd be hard to pass up with the number-one pick.
CBS Sports: 1st overall
The Ringer: 1st overall
ESPN: Number-one prospect
Richie Saunders in NBA Mock Drafts
Tearing his ACL has proved absolutely fatal to Richie Saunders' NBA Draft hopes.
Having served a full-time mission on top of a four-year college career, Richie Saunders is ancient for an NBA Draft prospect as he'll be 25 years old by the beginning of his rookie season -- which he'll likely miss much of as he rehabs his torn ACL.
He's an embarrassment of wealth when it comes to basketball intangibles. Hustle, competitive drive, motor, and awareness are all through the roof with Richie and more than make up for his limited athleticism. He's a sniper from distance -- he hit a "disappointing" 37.8% of his three-point attempts after a 43.2% clip the season before -- and proved to be the heartbeat of his BYU basketball team since his sophomore year.
He's exactly the type of player NBA teams should love to place their trust upon.
But with his injury and age alone, interest will be low in Saunders as a prospect. He could sneak into the second round of the draft if the right team takes a flyer on him, but optics suggest he'll be signed as an undrafted free agent and play in the G-League or overseas.
Tankathon: 45th overall
ESPN: 56th prospect
Robert Wright III will be returning for another season of college basketball, presumably receiving very little interest from the NBA at this time.
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