Story by
2026 NBA mock draft: Darryn Peterson, Canton native, lands at No. 1 in ESPN projection
- Story by
- 2026 NBA mock draft: Darryn Peterson, Canton native, lands at No. 1 in ESPN projection
Mock drafts don't carry a ton of weight when a draft is more than a year away, but it's still notable for Canton native and basketball phenom Darryn Peterson to receive the ultimate sign of respect on the national level before he has even played a single college game.
ESPN recently released its initial 2026 NBA mock draft , and the prospect projected to be chosen at No. 1 overall is none other than Peterson , who's committed to play at the University of Kansas next season.
Advertisement
The early prediction made by ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo should not come as a surprise to those who read what legendary St. Vincent-St. Mary High School hoops coach Dru Joyce II told the Beacon Journal's Brad Bournival last week in an exclusive interview.
"He's the best since LeBron ," Joyce told Bournival of Peterson , a 6-foot-5 guard.
Just in case someone doesn't know, Joyce coached Akron native LeBron James at STVM. Of course, James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer who was drafted first overall by the Cavaliers in 2003 .
At the very least, Peterson is considered a candidate to represent Northeast Ohio as another No. 1 overall pick next year. Even to an amateur observer, a couple of facets of Peterson's game are eye-opening. One, he can consistently create his own shot by maneuvering to different spots on the floor, and, two, he often makes successful offense look as if it's effortless. Simply put, Peterson is virtually unstoppable at the high school level.
Advertisement
Joyce's headline-worthy praise for Peterson came after STVM fell 76-40 to Prolific Prep in Peterson's final high school regular-season game Feb. 18 in Canton. Peterson played for Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Huntington Prep in West Virginia for his junior season and moving on to Prolific Prep in California's Napa Valley for his senior season.
Dru Joyce II lauds Darryn Peterson: 'He's the best since LeBron': Darryn Peterson wows Canton crowd
Darryn Peterson is introduced with Prolific Prep before a game against St. Vincent-St. Mary in the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at Canton Memorial Civic Center.
For more context about Joyce's view of Peterson, consider Joyce also coached San Antonio Spurs first-round draft pick Malaki Branham years after James graduated from STVM. A former Ohio State star, Branham was selected 20th overall in 2022.
Advertisement
"Malaki is great, but Darryn is the best that I've seen since LeBron," Joyce told Bournival.
The next Kobe Bryant?: Darryn Peterson compared to Los Angeles Lakers icon by former NBA coach
ESPN comparison for Darryn Peterson is Damian Lillard
ESPN's draft experts have obviously done their homework and heard similar rave reviews. Givony wrote Peterson is "drawing some comparisons from NBA scouts to a bigger Damian Lillard," the Milwaukee Bucks nine-time All-Star guard whom the Portland Trail Blazers drafted sixth overall in 2012.
For mocking purposes, ESPN has the Washington Wizards and Peterson paired at No. 1 overall in the summer of 2026. The same mock assigned wing and BYU commit A.J. Dybantsa to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 2, followed by forward and Duke commit Cameron Boozer to the Utah Jazz at No. 3.
Advertisement
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Darryn Peterson is No. 1 pick in ESPN's new 2026 NBA mock draft
