Preseason NBA Draft and college basketball fanfare focus on the next elite, blue-chip prospects playing in their first unofficial games. It’s understandable to get excited about special players like Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, even in otherwise meaningless preseason and exhibition matches. Those prospects will own the spotlight, but all three of the elite 2026 prospects need other players to play at their best.
Basketball is a team sport, after all, and these special prospects often play with other legitimate NBA prospects in their own right. And while most focused on the performances of Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer, several other players on Kansas, BYU and Duke helped their cases as current or future NBA prospects. Let’s discuss some underrated prospects we’ll see plenty of playing next to some of the most hyped prospects to enter the league in years.
Nikolas Khamenia┃Forward┃Duke┃Freshman
It’s tough to pick out particularly underrated players on a Duke roster loaded with highly-touted recruits and established college players. Khamenia fits best, as the four-star forward hasn’t received much NBA Draft buzz, especially compared to the Boozer twins, Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba and Dame Sarr. He thrived against UCF, though, disrupting on defense with active hands, high intelligence and great size.
He’ll turn his defensive playmaking into offense with transition and secondary drives, weaponizing his height and craft to score and draw fouls. Khamenia’s limited athletic twitch and developing outside shot are both major improvement areas for his NBA future, but tall, smart players as skilled as Khamenia on both ends often transform into impact pros.
Darren Harris┃Guard┃Duke┃Sophomore
After battling injury throughout much of his freshman season and playing just six minutes per game, Harris will have the chance to remind people why he was a highly-regarded recruit. The 6’5 guard is an excellent off-ball mover and shooter who will thrive off of Cameron Boozer’s gravity all season. When teams run him off the line, Harris has enough handling skill and passing feel to punish them.
He looked strong and physical against UCF, contributing on the boards and holding up as an on and off ball defender. Harris doesn’t have the same kind of draft buzz many of his teammates has, but he could play a major role for Duke this season. Proving himself a valuable 3-and-D contributor on an elite college team will boost his stock in public and NBA circles.
Richie Saunders┃Wing┃BYU┃Senior
Saunders broke out as an elite college wing last season, averaging 16.5 points per game on sizzling efficiency (65.1% true shooting). He’s a dynamic movement and off-dribble shooter who will attempt more easy shots than ever before playing off of AJ Dybantsa. While Saunders hasn’t shot as well as he can from deep in BYU’s preseason games, he’s a bonafide elite shooter who shot 43.2% from deep on over 10 attempts per 100 possessions.
Beyond his shotmaking prowess that fuels his prospect case, Saunders has developed into a reliable secondary dribbler with the strength and footwork to make more plays than an average complementary player. With constant eyes on Dybantsa all season, expect Saunders to earn real buzz for the 2026 NBA Draft as the kind of role playing offensive wing NBA teams covet.
Robert Wright III┃Guard┃BYU┃Freshman
After transferring from a Baylor team without tons of spacing or offensive prowess, Wright is set up well to become one of college basketball’s best guards. He’s a surgical playmaker who constantly pressures the basket with quickness and a tight handle. Wright has showcased manipulative pick-and-roll passing in preseason aside from his complementary reps.
As a freshman Wright struggled to score efficiently, especially at the basket, and his lack of size will concern some NBA scouts. He’s an excellent player with high feel, skill and defensive impact potential and will have plenty of chances to prove his abilities to set up other offensive stars playing next to Dybantsa and Saunders this season.
Bryson Tiller┃Forward┃Kansas┃Freshman
Outside of Peterson, Tiller was the most impressive long-term prospect performer in the Louisville exhibition game. He made several impressive defensive plays, showcasing advanced instincts and awareness as a rotational defender. The 6’11 forward looked the part of an NBA athlete, especially on the defensive end where he erased shots and enveloped smaller offensive players.
Tiller added 12 points on eight shots, weaponizing his athleticism to score in the paint effectively. Even if Tiller doesn’t earn consistent minutes early on, his rebounding and slashing should help him add offensive value. It’s only preseason, but Tiller made as strong a case as any other Jayhawk for NBA scouts to continue monitoring his progress.
Flory Bidunga┃Big┃Kansas┃Sophomore
Bidunga might be the single largest beneficiary from Darryn Peterson’s presence at Kansas. He’s a nuclear vertical athlete who finally gets to play with a dynamic on-ball playmaker with loads of playmaking gravity. He scored 14 points on seven shots against Louisville, several of those makes coming on spoon-fed lobs and lay-down passes from Peterson.
As a shorter big man (generously listed at 6’10 but likely a few inches smaller), his road to the NBA will be inherently challenging. He flashed excellent perimeter mobility against Louisville and has plenty of wing defender potential down the line, but centers as small as him must be truly special in other areas. Bidunga might boast the athletic gifts to be an outlier here and his pairing with Peterson will give him his best chance to garner NBA Draft attention.
