Big 12 Enjoys Historic First Round of NBA Draft

The Big 12 Conference posted a historic night at the 2026 NBA Draft with a Conference-record nine first-round picks.

The nine selections in the first round were the third most by any conference in NBA Draft history. With BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and KU’s Darryn Peterson as the top two picks by the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Big 12 had the first two overall selections in an NBA draft for the first time in Conference history.

Houston’s Kingston Flemings was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the eighth pick and Arizona’s Brayden Burries went to the Milwaukee Bucks two selections later. The Big 12 Conference garnered four top-10 picks in an NBA Draft for the first time ever, surpassing three picks in the top 10 in 2014 and 2000.

Dybantsa became the fourth Big 12 player to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick since 2009, joining Blake Griffin, Andrew Wiggins and Cade Cunningham. He was also the first Big 12 freshman in Conference history to score 40+ points in a Big 12 tournament game.

Peterson is the fourth Big 12 selection taken with the second overall pick after the Conference had the No. 2 pick in three straight drafts from 2006 to 2008. He also marks the 20^th lottery selection in Kansas history and the 14th in the Bill Self era, which began in 2003-04.

As the eighth overall pick, Flemings became the fifth-highest selection in Houston Cougar history. The Consensus Second Team All-American was the first freshman in program history to garner such honors.

After Carter Bryant was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 14^th pick last year, Burries gives Arizona back-to-back lottery selections since joining the Big 12 Conference after helping guide the Wildcats to the 2026 NCAA Final Four.

Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson was the 18^th overall selection, going to the Charlotte Hornets. Anderson earned All-American honors from a number of national outlets last season. Six picks later, Baylor’s Cameron Carr went to the New York Knicks with the No. 24 selection to give the Bears a first-round pick in six consecutive drafts.

The Boston Celtics selected Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. with the 27^th overall pick, which gave the Cougars two first-round picks in the same draft for a second time in four seasons. Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves one pick later, becoming the first Cyclone of the T.J. Otzelberger era to be selected in the first round. Koa Peat, the freshman from Arizona, was the 30^th overall selection of the Dallas Mavericks.

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.

The 2026 NBA Draft will resume on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN with the second round.

Big 12 Players Selected in First Round of 2026 NBA Draft
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