The 2025-26 college basketball season is here, and so it’s time for the first CBS Sports NBA Mock Draft. This initial mock comes without considering where NBA teams might pick, given how early it is in their season. So, this is essentially a replica of our big board to start the season, ranking the top 30 NBA prospects for the coming draft cycle.
One significant caveat is that nothing is guaranteed at this point. There are probably only four or five players who can confidently enter this college season saying they are bound to be lottery picks in eight months. For everyone else, virtually everything will be decided in the coming season.
With that in mind, here are thirty prospects who could have a chance to hear their name called in the first round. We added possible corresponding teams to the end of each player’s writeup, with 2026 NBA Draft order via Tankathon.
1. Darryn Peterson | Kansas | PG | 6-6 | 205 | Fr
He finished as the top-ranked prospect in last year’s recruiting class and begins this draft cycle in the same place. Peterson is a big, playmaking guard who continues to improve each year. His overlap of positional size, length, strength and shot creation is unmatched in this class. In fact, he may be the best domestic guard we’ve seen in several draft cycles. If the shot-making we’ve seen early on at Kansas proves sustainable, he could be even better than expected. Current pick: Brooklyn Nets
2. AJ Dybantsa | BYU | SF | 6-9 | 215 | Fr
Dybantsa spent more time atop the national 2025 recruiting rankings than anyone else in the class and was only dethroned by Peterson at the end. He enters his freshman season at BYU with a real chance to prove he deserves to be the No. 1 pick. He’s a jumbo wing with positional size, a 7-foot wingspan, good athleticism, extreme court coverage, multi-level scoring tools and the ability to rise and fire to get his shot off on demand. Current pick: Atlanta…
..
