AJ Dybantsa went on First Take to announce his college destination to the world.
And then the No. 1 high school basketball prospect delivered a first for BYU.
Dybantsa will come to Provo to play for the Cougars next year. He is the highest-rated recruit in program history and the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Dybantsa chose BYU over Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas.
His commitment instantly becomes one of the most impactful moments in BYU athletics history.
“A national championship,” Dybantsa said of what he thinks BYU’s ceiling is now. “With the team we got coming in, I think it’s possible. So that is the main goal.”
BYU has heavily pursued the Boston native since head coach Kevin Young came to Provo.
Young, touting his NBA credentials, promised to make BYU a destination for future pros. In discussions with the Dybantsa family, which spanned all the way back to a clandestine meeting in Provo last April, Young emphasized his existing relationships with NBA stars like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
His pitch: If he could lead the game’s future Hall of Famers, he could be trusted with the best prospect in the nation.
“For me, it’s just like, ‘What do we have to offer that people will be interested in?’” Young said two weeks ago while speaking about his experience as a coach. “So one of the things that I think is unique with us is the stuff we are talking to recruits about, it is not hypothetical. I’ve done it at the NBA level. Where these guys are trying to get to, I’ve been there. I’ve lived that life. I’ve brought a lot of people on staff who have also lived that life.”
In June, Ace Dybantsa, AJ’s father, said he found Young’s professional Rolodex impressive. Ace and his wife, Chelsea, met privately with Young before AJ first saw the campus. Ace Dybantsa seemed intrigued Young could get on FaceTime with Booker and other stars. AJ Dybantsa was equally drawn to Young’s CV.
“I mean, yeah,” AJ Dybantsa told The Tribune. “That’s why [BYU] made the list. I feel like all [of the] schools have some similarities, some differences. But all of them made the list for a reason.
“All the schools have NBA guys. So I know they are capable of surpassing [college] and go to the NBA from there.”
Young’s recruiting pitches tend to be all-encompassing. That includes touting a staff of mostly professional coaches. For example, assistant Will Voigt was the head coach of teams in the German Bundesliga, the NBA’s G League and programs in Norway and Egypt. Tim Fanning worked at Overtime Elite with the best NBA prospects and was the head coach with teams in New Zealand.
Young’s pitch was then given validation this year when he landed two potential NBA lottery picks. Egor Demin, a 6-foot-9 guard from Moscow, Russia, came to BYU for the 2024 season. Kanon Catchings, another 6-foot-9 marksman, decommitted from Purdue to come to Young’s system.
“We talk about a strength and conditioning program, it is not hypothetical. We talk about a nutrition plan for somebody to grow their body, it is not hypothetical,” Young said. “Player development, on the court, we got multiple guys who have been G-League head coaches.”
Another underrated aspect of Young’s professional staff was its extensive connections to agents. With NIL contracts at a premium, most top college recruits have professional agents now. So even though Young’s staff may have lacked traditional college recruiting experience, they could lean on their NBA agent network to secure visits and audiences with the top players.
“I’ve always felt there’s, for whatever reason, been a weird divide between pro and college on the basketball side,” Voigt told The Tribune last summer. “In today’s day and age, actually having that pro experience, and that G League and international experience, helps. You’re creating culture. You’re creating a system with lots of roster turnover. You’re building a roster year to year, the relationships you develop. That’s kind of where college basketball is right now.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Prep Academy’s AJ Dybantsa speaks with his father Ace following his game in the 5 for the Fight National Hoopfest in Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024.
AJ Dybantsa made his official visit to BYU in October on the heels of going to Tuscaloosa. Dybantsa returned a few weeks later to see a BYU basketball game on his own.
Ace Dybantsa also made a few last-minute visits before the announcement. He flew out to Chapel Hill last week to see Alabama play UNC. Both of those teams made AJ’s top four.
Draft analysts compare AJ Dybantsa’s game as a mix between NBA stars Paul George, Tracy McGrady and Jayson Tatum. At 6-foot-9 with the ability to handle the ball and defend at a high level, his 3-point shooting remains the biggest area of improvement. He is averaging 17.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 2024.
The player compared himself to McGrady and Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. On first take, Dybantsa’s father compared him to superstar LeBron James. Ace Dybantsa said believes his son will be a one-and-done player in Provo.
Asked where he would fit best in the NBA, AJ Dybantsa said the San Antonio Spurs or the Orlando Magic. Ace said he wouldn’t mind his son playing for the Phoenix Suns, where Young was the top assistant.
“You watch the film. How do you think me and Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] would play?” Dybantsa said. “Obviously in the league I could be on some straight scoring. But I also could be Luka [Doncic] bringing up the ball and score when I need to. Cade Cunningham, score when I need to. So it just depends on the situation. But with the Magic, Paulo [Banchero] is my guy.”
When talking about the Suns, Dybantsa said, “They better not let me get KD [Kevin Durant] as my vet. Don’t do that.”
AJ Dybantsa started his high school career in Boston, but then moved around based on NIL deals. He played his sophomore and junior seasons at Prolific Prep in Napa, California. He then made an unexpected move to Utah Prep this year in Hurricane.
The star is earning $600,000 in addition to his family getting an ownership stake in the school, The Tribune reported earlier this month.
His deal to come to BYU would be worth seven figures, a source close to the situation said. BYU had to be competitive with top NIL offers from Alabama and several others.
Read More:
• As AJ Dybantsa stars at Utah Prep, turmoil stirs behind the scenes
• No. 1 basketball recruit AJ Dybantsa discusses his visit to BYU in October
