March Madness is underway and today's college stars have a chance to cement themselves in this summer's NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, BYU's A.J. Dybantsa  is expected to go in the first round.

Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.

A.J. Dybantsa 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 1 overall, Indiana Pacers

All picks based on Tankathon lottery projection

Kalbrosky's Analysis:

The race for the No. 1 pick is a tight one, but if the Pacers get the pick, the most likely candidate is AJ Dybantsa. Even though he has flirted with the idea of returning to college, he is the perfect missing piece (around Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac) for this roster. The Big 12 Rookie of the Year leads the nation in unassisted points scored (680) by a wide margin this season, per CBB Analytics. The emerging star became the youngest player in NCAA history with a 30-point triple-double against Eastern Washington on Dec. 22. Highlighted by his 43-point performance against in-state rival Utah on Jan. 24 and 40 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 10, he has averaged 28.4 points per game over his last 16 appearances.

See USA TODAY's full mock draft here

A.J. Dybantsa player profile

(all stats as of March 15)

• Position: Forward
• Current Team: BYU
• 25.3 points per game
• 6.7 rebounds per game
• 3.8 assists per game
• 51.3% field goal percentage
• 34.0% three-point field goal percentage

Indiana Pacers 2026 projected draft picks

• No. 1

All picks based on Tankathon lottery projection

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A.J. Dybantsa NBA mock draft projection: Where BYU star is expected to land

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