The decision had already been made.

By the time Ace Dybantsa boarded a plane to Los Angeles last week, he was carrying the biggest secret in the college basketball world. He knew where his son — top prospect AJ Dybantsa — was going to school.

But he was on a mission to make the news even bigger.

His son’s impending commitment to BYU would shock people. No potential No. 1 NBA draft pick has ever chosen the Provo school. Yet, Ace was on his way to meet ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith to see if they could announce it in front of a national audience on “First Take” — bringing even more attention to the moment.

“They came to me and asked me. I was happy to do it,” Smith told The Salt Lake Tribune.

It had the intended effect. On Tuesday morning, AJ unzipped his sweatshirt to reveal Cougar Blue and the school’s stretch Y to the world. For the next 48 hours, everyone talked about AJ picking the Cougars over basketball powerhouses like Kansas, North Carolina and Alabama. His three remaining schools had 38 combined NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances. BYU has only made it to the Elite Eight three times, with the last time coming more than 40 years ago.

“I was shocked by it,” Smith said afterward. “Obviously when you think about BYU, you don’t think about basketball too much.”

But this is how the Dybantsas have always operated. For the better part of six years, Ace has meticulously plotted to put his son on the biggest stages and forge a unique path. He’s never been scared to stray from the grooved track most top prospects in America follow: top prep school, top college program and then the league. This announcement to BYU, and the drama Ace built up around it, was only the latest example.

“Trendsetter,” Ace once told The Tribune when explaining his vision for his son.

AJ, he said, was someone who would “shock the world.”

Pulling the levers

In the heat of last summer, AJ Dybantsa wanted to make sure he wasn’t late.

He had a morning workout scheduled with 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul. Paul texted Dybantsa the night before to set it up. The session was supposed to start at 6 a.m. Ace suggested they arrive around 5:30 a.m. to be on the safe side.

But when they pulled up, Paul was already on the floor in a full sweat.

“See AJ, that’s why he has 19 years in the league,” Ace told his son, urging him not to be outworked again.

Ace has always pushed AJ toward stardom. When Ace saw his son grow five inches in the summer before seventh grade, and then four more in the following months, he knew what could be. Here was a 6-foot-9 forward with ball skills, athleticism and a knack for scoring. Every college program would be drooling to get their hands on that type of talent.

So Ace pulled the levers behind the scenes to get his son in the best possible spot. When the world was locked down in the pandemic, he drove AJ an hour outside of Boston every day to train with a personal coach in Rhode Island. There AJ would go up against juniors and seniors when he was only in seventh grade.

“He got really beat up,” Ace remembered. “But he came out of that summer a beast.”

Ace slowly kept leveling up the competition. They started at a traditional school in Brockton, Massachusetts, called St. Sebastian’s, near the family’s home. Ace had moved from France to the United States in 1989 and worked as a police officer for 19 years at Boston University and as a deputy sheriff for seven. Ace and his wife Chelsea’s oldest daughter went to UMass Boston and their youngest daughter was a volleyball player a few years younger than AJ.

Ace kept his son on a strict schedule every summer. Wakeup call was 5 a.m. The first workout was at 6, the second at noon and the third around 5:30 p.m. It transformed AJ into the biggest fish in a small pond, averaging nearly a double-double with 19 points and almost 10 rebounds a game.

“He played on our varsity team as an eighth grader and actually started from day one,” former St. Sebastian’s head coach David Hinman said. “Both of those years that he was with us, we were league champions.”

But eventually, AJ’s hype became too big for the Catholic school of 380 students. He and his father moved out to Napa, California, to play basketball at Prolific Prep — one of the top prep schools in the country. They were lured by the national schedule and the chance at more exposure.

“The coach was from Massachusetts, too,” Ace said.

There, AJ upped his scoring to 21 points per night and led his team to a championship. Team USA came calling and the NBA invited him to the Top 100 camp as a sophomore. He was the youngest player there.

It was at the same time that agents started reaching out to Ace wanting to talk about his son’s future. Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports who represents LeBron James among other NBA stars, inquired about workouts. Eventually, the Dybantsas were canceling vacations to go to elite Jayson Tatum and Steph Curry camps.

When the season was up, multiple high schools were willing to give AJ seven figures to play a year with them. Miami Prep called along with schools in Texas, New York and Florida. Montverde, led by head coach Kevin Boyle, offered $1 million, Ace said. But Ace wanted to go his own route.

He flew out to Utah to visit a newer prep school. Utah Prep’s campus in Hurricane wasn’t yet completed, but the school offered him a part ownership stake and $600,000 for AJ. Ace was sold on the vision. AJ would go there even if the choice confused some.

“People are going to hate. Doesn’t matter,” Ace said. “When they don’t hate you, that’s when you are not good.”

Last summer, ahead of AJ’s senior year, everything was getting bigger. Ace was scheduling workouts with NBA athletes like Kevin Durant, Jordan Poole and Tyrese Maxey in Los Angeles. On the side, AJ became the face of Utah Prep, traveling to Shanghai for international tournaments and taking down some of the top-ranked high school teams in the country. Utah Prep just beat the No. 1-ranked high school, Link Academy from Missouri, last month.

On AJ’s 17th birthday, Ace took his son to watch the Celtics play the Lakers. As the game ended, AJ hopped to the locker room and all the Lakers greeted him.

“They knew him by name,” Ace said.

LeBron James, the biggest superstar in basketball, walked out to talk to AJ.

He is the player Ace believes his son is most like.

BYU’s pitch to AJ Dybantsa

Back in April, new BYU head coach Kevin Young was in deep discussions with Suns general manager James Jones about whether he should stay or go.

Young had just accepted the job in Provo, but was finishing his assistant coaching duties with the Suns as they played the Timberwolves in the playoffs. He was busy trying to shut down Minnesota star Anthony Edwards but still worrying about getting his new program off the ground. During that time, Young learned that Ace and Chelsea Dybantsa were coming to Provo to tour the campus. It was part of Utah Prep’s leadership showing off the state; the group also toured Salt Lake City and Zion National Park.

Young didn’t want to miss a chance to present his case to the most important high school basketball family in the country. So after Game 1 of the Western Conference playoff series, he asked Jones if he could escape for a few hours. On the plane ride, he dialed in his pitch, saying he’s, “mastered the art of working on planes.”

“It was actually a crazy story. We had practice. I sprinted out of practice, jumped in an Uber and flew on a plane to Provo. Did all that and flew back. Got back to Minny about 3 in the morning ready to rock,” Young said. “Definitely my first foray into college recruiting.”

It was worth it. The trip laid the groundwork for BYU to pull off the impossible. Young spelled it all out to the Dybantsas in a more informal presentation. He coached the best players in the world. His staff would be made up of all-NBA pedigree. BYU was a unique place, sure. But by Young’s estimation, it was the best place for a future NBA star to develop before entering the league. Plus, the Honor Code at the school sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could be a strength — limiting distractions as players prepare for the league.

Ace left the trip feeling comfortable with the state, which he was largely unfamiliar with before the visit.

“Everybody outside of Utah [says] Utah is a Mormon place. A bunch of wives, all that stuff,” Ace said. “I believe what I see. I came here, thought it was beautiful.”

He also left comfortable with Young.

“Kevin, he’s working,” Ace said in June.

Throughout the recruiting process, it was Ace, not AJ, that would be BYU’s point of contact.

“I handle everything,” Ace said. “He just focuses on two B’s: basketball and books. Coaches don’t talk to him. Agents don’t talk to him. A coach calls me. If they by chance get his number, he won’t answer.”

After meeting Young, Ace was convinced enough to bring AJ along to Provo in June for an unofficial visit. Only two other schools got unofficial visits: USC and Auburn.

At the time of AJ’s visit to Provo, he said, he had spent maybe “10 minutes on the phone” with Young and really didn’t know him. BYU didn’t push it.

“We were trying to be very respectful of how they operate and how they wanted to approach things,” Young said.

But Young had a few contacts, and testimonials, waiting for AJ when they did meet.

Young coached Kevin Durant, AJ’s favorite player. He also coached Chris Paul, who AJ had worked out with that summer in LA. AJ later attended a Phoenix Suns game and spoke with All-Star Devin Booker, who swore by Young’s coaching acumen.

“K-YU,” Booker jokingly called BYU when Young got the job. Durant also spoke highly of Young when he talked with AJ.

There was one other NBA figure the young Dybantsa was excited to meet: BYU legend Danny Ainge. As a Celtics fan growing up, AJ had heard the stories of Ainge’s NBA titles.

“Knew of him from Boston,” AJ said. AJ would later tell “First Take” he was a rabid Boston fan, “Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots. We have the most chips in every sport.”

Ainge had already met with Ace and Chelsea back in April. He came for dinner when Utah Prep co-founder Brent Woodson was hosting the parents. Ainge also came when Ace and Chelsea were on campus meeting Young, Woodson said.

“He came over. We were having some Sunday dinner,” Woodson said. He also said Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith visited with the Dybantsas at BYU. “Ryan met them.”

Young said he tried not to overdo it with the introductions, but was happy to make connections to move the needle. Ace was impressed by Young’s Rolodex. Young could get NBA players on Facetime with recruits like AJ. That was something unique from other college staffs and immediately gave credibility to the sales pitch.

“If there is something I see where it would be a pretty cool connection, I call upon those relationships,” Young said of Ainge, Durant and Paul. “The cool thing is, those guys will hit me. They hear about it and say, ‘Hey, you need me to do anything?’ It is really the brotherhood and the relationships that you build.”

When AJ trimmed his list down to seven possible schools, BYU made the cut for official visits. He positioned BYU last on his schedule, right after his visit to Alabama.

At Alabama, head coach Nate Oats walked him around Bryant-Denny Stadium to be serenaded by chants of “AJ!” as the Tide played Georgia in football.

At BYU, Young walked AJ over to LaVell Edwards Stadium where the undefeated Cougars were hosting Big Noon Saturday on FOX on an October afternoon. Young wanted him to get a taste of the fan base, and remind him that BYU plays in front of rabid fans, too.

But Young focused mainly on hoops. He walked him through his vision for the offense and his development and challenged him to defend the best players. In Young’s mind, AJ reminded him of NBA star Paul George on defense.

“I’ve gone up against George in playoff battles, seeing it up close,” Young said. “Some of the passing is LeBron light. Similar to [current BYU star] Egor [Demin]. Not being his strength, but can dart cross-court passes. He’s a mix of a lot of different guys.”

The BYU coach also impressed his recruit with his staff’s NBA pedigree.

“A lot stood out on my visit. Obviously coach Kevin Young there. My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA and he coached my favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant,” AJ said. “[Durant] had high praise about him. On my visit, the head coach all the way down to the analytics guy, the analytics guy all the way to the dietitian, is all NBA staff. If it’s all NBA, and I’m trying to get to the NBA, I think it is going to be the best development situation for me.”

The name, image and likeness money, Young said, would be on par with anything Alabama or Kansas State put forth. Kansas and North Carolina, too.

“They made it pretty clear that all the finalists were operating with the same structure and same scenarios. That was pretty obvious as we got serious in that space,” Young said. “Every school was coming with the same thing.”

CBS Sports reported that AJ will get $5 million from BYU’s collective and make more with impending revenue sharing and his independent deals with Red Bull and Nike. Ace told The Tribune that the Nike deal runs through AJ’s senior season of high school and they will renegotiate a contract going into college. Part of the reason, Ace said, was leverage. But another factor was making sure AJ could go to any college, regardless of their affiliation. For example, Kansas is sponsored by Adidas while BYU is a Nike school.

In November, AJ attended a BYU basketball game at the Marriott Center to watch the Cougars play the Idaho Vandals. Shortly after that, he secretly signed his national letter of intent.

Ace asked Young to keep it quiet. He wanted to build the hype a bit more.

Even with his son signed, he flew to Chapel Hill to sit near the floor as the Tar Heels played Alabama. Both schools were in AJ’s top four and Ace was photographed looking on. People speculated that Bama or UNC made a last-second charge to get AJ.

But really, Ace was preparing to shock the world on “First Take.”

On the big stage

The basketball world might have felt tilted on its axis, as AJ Dybantsa moved his BYU hat slightly to one side in front of the cameras on the New York set Tuesday morning.

“I thought you were going to pick North Carolina because of the ACC and that Duke-Carolina rivalry,” Smith, the network’s most infamous personality said.

“Why can’t I play Duke at BYU?” AJ fired back.

It was a moment few would have believed at BYU just a few months ago.

The No. 1 recruit, sparring with the most infamous personality on the “Worldwide Leader in Sports'” most popular show.

The Dybantsas wanted a national stage for their big announcement.

AJ then wasted no time pointing the spotlight on Provo.

There will be plenty of nationally televised games for the player they are already comparing to Tracy McGrady, Paul George and Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He may very well be the first pick taken in the 2026 NBA Draft.

There will be more fortune and fame.

There will be bigger and bigger stages.

“Before you get to the NBA, what do you hope to accomplish at BYU?” AJ was asked by “First Take” host Molly Qerim.

“Definitely a national championship,” he said plainly. “I think with the team we have coming in, it is definitely possible.”

Editor’s note • Salt Lake Tribune reporters Belle Fraser and Jason Batacao contributed to this story.