CHICAGO (AP) — Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa had an epic showdown in high school, crossed paths in college and could be the top two picks in this year’s NBA draft after starring at Kansas and BYU. That’s if Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson don’t have something to say about it.
All four are considered potential stars and a clear cut above the rest in a loaded draft class. What remains to be seen is the order they will be taken.
The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 pick for the first time since they drafted John Wall in 2010. Utah, Memphis and Chicago round out the top four.
“It would mean a lot,” Dybantsa said Wednesday at the NBA draft combine of being picked first. “It would just mean that all my hard work is paying off. All the countless hours and all the sacrifices I made have paid off.”
Dybantsa, who led the country in scoring last season, thinks he would be a good fit in Washington. The Wizards went 17-65 and finished with the league’s worst record for the first time since 1967. But after eight straight losing seasons, they could be poised for bigger things.
Then again, it’s no sure thing Dybantsa goes first. There’s a case for Peterson, not to mention Boozer and Wilson.
“For me, it’s just about going to the right fit, the right situation for me,” said Boozer, the AP national player of the year. “An organization that really believes in me, and understands what I bring to the team. I understand where you go really matters for your career and how your trajectory goes, so that’s the biggest thing for me for sure.”
Boozer, the son of former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer, tied for the national lead with 22 double-doubles while averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds. His dad played for the Jazz and Bulls, and now, there’s a chance he winds up on one of those teams.
“He loves it here,” Cameron Boozer said. “I think he has a very strong fan base here as well. I think he’d be very happy if I was sent to Chicago.”
Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in a dominant season cut short by injuries. He broke a bone in his left hand days after a thrilling win against rival Duke. Then, when he was about to come back, he broke his right thumb in a non-contact drill in practice to end his season on the eve of another meeting with the Blue Devils.
He said his hand is “perfectly fine” and the team that drafts him will get a “winner.”
“They’re gonna get somebody who’s dedicated to their franchise, somebody who will change their city for the better,” he said.
Peterson was hospitalized because of full-body cramping before the season and dealt with other injuries and illnesses that caused him to miss 11 games. But he was terrific when he played, averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc in 24 games.
Peterson and Dybantsa were considered the top two prep basketball players for years. They put on a memorable show during a Grind Session game on the winter AAU circuit, when Peterson went off for 58 points for Prolific Prep and nailed the winning 3 in the final seconds. Dybantsa scored 49 for Utah Prep.
“I just remember me and AJ going back and forth,” Peterson said. “It was a great game and I was blessed to come out on top. I’m getting back to that now.”
Dybantsa described it as an unforgettable experience for anyone who witnessed it.
“If you were at that game, that’s probably a core memory in your whole basketball-watching as a fan,” he said. “That was probably a core moment. I think there was a time in the game where we went 15 for 15 straight. It was crazy. He ended up winning, so he got the best me.”
Peterson did it again when Kansas beat BYU in late January, scoring 18 points while Dybantsa finished with 17.
Now, Peterson is trying to show that the physical issues that slowed him last season are a thing of the past. They also might have helped him develop into a more well-rounded player.
“I didn’t have the same step that I had before,” he said. “If one thing’s bad, something else improves. My shooting improved because of that.”
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