Big 12 Adds to Record Showing in Second Round of NBA Draft

The Big 12 stood out so much during the 2026 NBA Draft that the conference set a record. With four players selected in Wednesday’s second round of the NBA Draft, the Big 12 Conference amassed a league-record 13 total picks and led all conferences. The 13 selections in this year’s draft surpassed its previous Conference highs of 10 players picked in the 2010 and 2008 drafts.

The first Big 12 player to hear his name called on Wednesday was BYU’s Richie Saunders who was selected by the Memphis Grizzles with the second pick of the second round (32^nd overall). Saunders was followed by Cincinnati’s Baba Miller (36^thoverall to the Los Angeles Clippers), Houston’s Emanuel Sharp (45^th overall to the Sacramento Kings) and Arizona’s Jaden Bradley (50^th overall to Toronto Raptors).

The Conference rewrote the record books in Tuesday’s first round with nine players selected in the first round, which set a Big 12 record. The nine first-round picks were the third most by any conference in NBA Draft history as BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and KU’s Darryn Peterson gave the Big 12 the first and second overall picks in the same draft for the first time ever.

To drive buzz and underscore the Big 12’s strength in this year’s draft class, the Conference executed a creative takeover around Barclays Center with digital and mobile billboards showcasing its hardwood identity under the headline “The Court That Makes Kings.” With AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson going No. 1 and No. 2, the creative updated to “1 & 2? That’s 12,” reinforcing the Conference’s position at the top of the draft.

Big 12 Players Selected in the 2026 NBA Draft
First Round (9)
No. 1 pick – Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa from BYU
No. 2 pick – Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson from Kansas
No. 8 pick – Atlanta Hawks – Kingston Flemings from Houston
No. 10 pick – Milwaukee Bucks – Brayden Burries from Arizona
No. 18 pick – Charlotte Hornets – Christian Anderson from Texas Tech
No. 24 pick – New York Knicks – Cameron Carr from Baylor
No. 27 pick – Boston Celtics – Chris Cenac Jr. from Houston
No. 28 pick – Minnesota Timberwolves – Joshua Jefferson from Iowa State
No. 30 pick – Dallas Mavericks – Koa Peat from Arizona

Second Round (4)
No. 32 pick – Memphis Grizzles – Richie Saunders from BYU
No. 36 pick – Los Angeles Clippers – Baba Miller from Cincinnati
No. 45 pick – Sacramento Kings – Emmanuel Sharp from Houston
No. 50 pick – Toronto Raptors – Jaden Bradley from Arizona