BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders invited to NBA draft combine
May 1, 2026, 9:57 AM | Updated: 9:58 am
PROVO – BYU basketball stars AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders will both be at the 2026 NBA draft combine.
The NBA announced the official list of invited players to the Combine on Friday. Both of BYU’s stars are among the 73 invitees to the event in Chicago at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis from May 10-17.
The NBA announced today that 73 players have been invited to the AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026, which will take place May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the AWS NBA G League Draft Combine 2026,… pic.twitter.com/9w2ncpacCe
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 1, 2026
AJ Dybantsa takes center stage at the 2026 NBA draft combine
Dybantsa is projected to be the No. 1 NBA draft pick in June. The freshman star was the nation’s leading scorer in college basketball this past year at 25.5 points per game.
Richie Saunders goes to the combine after suffering a season-ending injury
Saunders was playing like a potential first-round NBA pick during his senior year, until he suffered a season-ending ACL injury on February 14.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Saunders averaged 18 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and shot 48.9% from the field.
Arguably, his best performance as a BYU Cougar was in front of numerous NBA executives and scouts when he dropped a career-high 33 points on the road at Kansas. A game that had all of the attention on No. 1 draft pick contenders Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.
BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young, after that game, said Saunders “was the best player on the floor” in that contest.
BYU to the combine
It’s the second consecutive year that BYU has produced a player for the NBA draft combine. Last year, Egor Demin went through the combine before being selected with the 8th overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets.
The NBA draft combine is an opportunity for NBA franchises to obtain official measurements from the 73 athletes, including height with and without shoes, weight, and wingspan.
It’s also an opportunity for teams to get medical evaluations, interview the players, and see them compete in 5-on-5 scrimmages.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
