Entering the 2025-26 college basketball season, Koa Peat was the most hyped freshman on the Arizona roster. However, over the course of a very successful year, Brayden Burries outplayed Peat significantly. Burries averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for a Wildcats team that won the highly-competitive Big 12 and lost in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament — marking the first time since 2001 that Arizona made it to that stage. Along the way, the guard’s efficiency was off the charts. 

Burries has firmly played his way into the lottery conversation in the 2026 NBA Draft, and front offices will be eager to select a player with his skill set and pedigree. 

Offensively, Burries is unique in the way he can fit with multiple lineups. In his time in Tucson, the 6-foot-4 guard played as a two-guard next to Jaden Bradley, primarily showcasing his off-ball ability. As a scorer, Burries can knock down triples (39.1%), shoot off the bounce, and get all the way to the cup. He’s not the most explosive athlete in the world, and he’s not as tall as you’d want a traditional shooting guard to be. However, he makes up for it with his ability to push defenders off their spots and find a sliver of space where it might not look like it’s there. He’s genuinely strong and has an advanced feel for the game. 

Burries is also capable of running some offense. He’s a little more of a combo guard than a true two, and that will create some lineup versatility for his next coach. Burries showed he can play next to a true playmaker, but he also proved he can be an on-ball creator. That’s big considering the true point guard is a dying breed in the NBA. Burries will get chances to run the show, even if that means anchoring some bench units. 

Regardless of what role Burries plays on offense, what he brings is consistent, undeniable production. After a very slow start to the season, Burries was eventually a go-to player on an elite Arizona squad. Burries was also doing that with a level of precision and calm that you simply don’t see in younger players. Granted, Burries is a little older than your average freshman, as he’ll be 21 years old when his rookie season begins. But still, he was a first-year college player in his lone season in the desert, and his numbers speak volumes. 

Last season, Burries finished the year with a 62.3% true shooting percentage, which put him in the 94th percentile in college basketball. He also finished with an Offensive RAPM of 4.2 (98th percentile in NCAABB), which is a reliable catch-all metric that you can find at CBB Analytics. 

Burries will just bring a bit of everything to his next team, serving as an impressive shot-maker, a good transition option, and someone that understands how to contribute to winning. Many will knock his age, size, and lack of burst, but you can doubt him at your own peril. Burries saved some of his best basketball for the heart of Big 12 season, and players with his all-around ability and advanced mental toughness tend to translate well. 

Burries also takes pride in defending at a high level. That’s a rarity for a former five-star recruit, and the defense should be excellent in the pros. Burries’ Defensive RAPM was 3.9 last season, putting him in college basketball’s 99th percentile. The tape matches up with the numbers, too. Burries guards with physicality and criticality, realizing the importance of getting stops. Playing at a winning program certainly helped in that regard, but he built good habits immediately and his next coaching staff is going to love that. 

Burries is a physical on-ball defender that moves very well from side to side, even if he doesn’t have as much quickness as you’d look for in a player at his position. He’s also very smart about realizing who he has behind him, often funneling his man into his team’s rim protectors. 

Off the ball, Burries does a good job of staying awake, rarely allowing his man to get free for open looks. He’s also a clever help defender, plus he enjoys his time operating in a free safety role. 

Burries is the type of player that playoff teams seem to have next to their stars. He’s talented, hungry, and ego-less. However, don’t mistake Burries for a glue guy. There’s a real chance he delivers All-Star production in the right system. There’s no reason to put any type of ceiling on him heading into the pros, but the way he competes — and how he has learned to impact games — does give him a nice baseline.