First Impressions: Top Freshmen Steal the Show on Opening Night
Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Koa Peat headline a loaded 2026 draft class with standout college debuts.
Opening Night: The Start of a Much-Anticipated College Basketball Season
The 2025-26 college basketball season tipped off Monday night, officially marking the start of what’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated years in recent memory. With the 2026 NBA Draft already projected to be one of the strongest classes in years, there’s genuine debate brewing over who will ultimately rise to the top.
And on opening night, two of the players expected to headline that debate, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, made their long-awaited college debuts.
Across the country, several other freshmen also made strong first impressions. Here are the performances that stood out most to me from Monday night’s action.
Darryn Peterson – Kansas
Potential No. 1 pick Darryn Peterson wasted no time showing why he’s viewed as one of the premier prospects in the nation. The Kansas freshman scored 21 points in just 22 minutes as Kansas smashed Green Bay, 94–51.
Peterson was electric. His first step is elite, the kind of burst that separates good players from special ones. He hit threes off the dribble with a quick release, created two dunks for himself in isolation, and was active defensively, finishing with five combined steals and blocks.
Yes, the competition wasn’t top-tier, but Peterson’s production and efficiency continue to impress. He put up 26 points in 25 minutes in Kansas’ exhibition win over Louisville and followed that up with another dominant showing here.
He’s my number one right now.
AJ Dybantsa – BYU
Dybantsa lived up to the hype in his college debut, leading BYU to a victory over Villanova with a strong second-half surge. Dybantsa finished with 21 points, 13 of which came after halftime, along with six rebounds and three assists. He shot 9-for-18 from the field.
What stood out most was his poise. Dybantsa showed real patience within the offense and a strong sense of when to pick his spots. His passing ability and unselfishness stood out, traits that suggest he could develop into a good playmaker at the next level. He also made several key reads in the pick-and-roll late in the game, the kind of actions that translate directly to the NBA.
For me, Dybantsa is number two on my board right now.
Koa Peat – Arizona
No freshman was more dominant on opening night than Koa Peat who posted 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a win over No. 3 Florida, the reigning national champions. Peat became just the second Big 12 freshman to debut with 30 or more points, joining Michael Beasley’s 32-point debut in 2007.
Peat looked like the best player in the country last night. His touch around the rim, shot-making, and competitiveness stood out right away. He shot the ball extremely well and showed the versatility that made him such a coveted prospect.
One area for improvement is his willingness to take catch-and-shoot threes instead of settling for pull-up jumpers. There was one possession at the top of the key where he chose a contested two-dribble pull-up instead of taking the open three. Still, his ability to hit those mid-range shots will be valuable in pick-and-roll situations when defenses switch.
His playmaking also continues to impress. You can tell that his experience as a lead ball handler with the Compton Magic has translated seamlessly. I’d like to see him rebound and push in transition more, but that’s just nitpicking. Peat was sensational.
Nate Ament – Tennessee
Ament showed flashes in Tennessee’s win over Mercer, but his offensive role still feels a bit undefined. He continues to rely heavily on contested mid-range jumpers and post-up fadeaways, shots that fell on Monday night but may not be sustainable against stronger competition.
He did draw fouls, though several came from bonus situations rather than aggressive drives. When smaller defenders switched onto him, Ament still struggled at times to create separation. That said, he did hit a smooth moving three off an inbounds play and made a nice transition finish, glimpses of what he can be when used more dynamically.
I like Ament’s talent, but I’m not a big fan of how he’s currently being used within Tennessee’s offense.
Tounde Yessoufou – Baylor
Yessoufou’s numbers looked great with 24 points and seven rebounds on 10-of-16 shooting in Baylor’s 96–81 win over UTRGV, but the eye test told a more complicated story.
His jump shot mechanics didn’t look clean, though the results were great at 2-for-5 from three. Baylor will happily take that level of efficiency. The bigger issue was control. Yessoufou was reckless with the ball, often driving into traffic without a plan.
A lot of his scoring came from his relentless motor on the offensive glass. That energy is going to earn him points, but I still have questions about his overall skill set and how it translates against better defenses and on the NBA level.
Mikel Brown Jr. – Louisville
Mikel Brown Jr. had 11 points and a team-high six assists in just 18 minutes as Louisville cruised past South Carolina State, 104–45.
Yes, it came in a 50-point blowout, but the film he put out was impressive. Brown’s passing instincts were on full display. He threw two cross-court left-hand passes that few college guards can make and split multiple pick-and-rolls with ease. He even threw down a dunk in the half court, showing off some sneaky athleticism that often gets overlooked.
The biggest question for Brown will be finishing at the rim once the competition stiffens. That wasn’t tested last night, but it will be as the schedule gets tougher. Still, at 6-foot-5 with his passing ability, decision-making, and overall feel for the game, he looks like a legitimate top-five pick candidate. Brown just does a lot of things very, very well.
Caleb Wilson – North Carolina
Wilson turned in one of the most dominant stat lines of the night, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting in North Carolina’s 94–54 win over Central Arkansas.
Wilson dunked seven times. He looked like Prime Shaq out there, finishing everything around the rim. The level of competition makes it hard to fully evaluate, but even in a mismatch, Wilson showed flashes of what makes him so intriguing.
He knocked down a catch-and-shoot three and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line, which are the areas I’m most interested in seeing develop. Everyone knows he’s an elite athlete, but the perimeter growth is what will determine his ceiling.
At 6-foot-9, with his defensive versatility, ball-handling, and emerging jumper, Wilson has elite talent. If he can stretch the floor consistently, he’s absolutely in the conversation to be a top-five pick.
As of today, I’d take Caleb Wilson over Nate Ament if the draft were held tomorrow.
Hannes Steinbach – Washington
Hannes Steinbach powered Washington to a 94–50 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists on an efficient 9-of-11 from the field.
He flat-out overpowered UAPB, no disrespect to them, but his physicality was just on another level. What impressed me most was how complete his game looked. Steinbach made his only three-point attempt, showed off his vision as a connective passer, and ran the floor with energy on both ends.
You can’t question Steinbach’s motor as he plays hard every single possession. He’s one of the best short-roll bigs in this class, and his rebounding instincts are elite.
The next step for him will be proving he can make a consistent defensive impact against higher-level competition. If he does that, I think he can sneak into the top 15 of this draft class.
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