No. 1 college basketball recruit AJ Dybantsa announced his commitment to BYU in a Tuesday morning appearance on ESPN’s “First Take.” Dybantsa, 17, was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, and briefly attended Saint Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass., before transferring to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah. He was initially a 2026 high school class member before re-classifying to 2025 in October 2023. He was the No. 1 prospect in 2026 and maintained his status upon re-classification to 2025.
Dybantsa has been one of the top scorers in the country throughout his high school basketball career. He won Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors for 2022-23. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 points per game, while shooting 51.9% from the floor and 36.7% from three-point range in Spring 2023. He then led in scoring with an average of 25.8 points at the Nike Peach Jam in Summer 2023. Read on for further details.
AJ Dybanta’s Shocking Announcement
AJ Dybantsa’s shocking announcement shocked most, if not all, people on Tuesday morning. AJ Dybantsa, the No.1 high school basketball prospect and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, chose the BYU Cougars over the Alabama Crimson Tide, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Kansas Jayhawks. He became the first five-star recruit to commit to BYU since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007.
BYU had positioned itself towards the topic of AJ Dybantsa’s list just days after Kevin Young took over as the new head coach in Spring 2023. Dybantsa told ESPN, “At BYU, the whole staff from the head coach on down came from the NBA … Head coach Kevin Young coached my favorite player in KD [Kevin Durant] and coached Devin Booker. Both had a lot of good things to say about him. We watched clips of both.”
Dybanta’s Little-Known Secret
AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing, announced his commitment to BYU on Tuesday morning, but there’s more to know about Dybantsa’s commitment. Dybantsa officially signed with BYU during the early signing period, but didn’t make his decision public until Tuesday, sources told ESPN. BYU received Dybantsa’s papers in the final hours of the signing period, which ended on November 20. Dybantsa took his final official visit to BYU in October.
Dybantsa reportedly pointed to the NBA ties at BYU. He started with BYU’s new Head Coach Kevin Young who has NBA assistant coaching experience, and included the college’s strength and conditioning coach, Michael Davie. He has worked for the Milwaukee Bucks, and the director of nutrition, Danielle LaFata, has worked for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.
Dybantsa told ESPN, “Coach [Kevin] Young’s NBA background played a big factor in my decision … He came from the NBA. He coached NBA players. You cannot get any closer to where I want to be.” But Dybantsa’s decision didn’t come as easy, as several other colleges were involved during the process. Dybantsa added, “This was a tough decision … The hardest part about the recruiting process is after every visit you want to go to that school.”
Dybanta Gets Real
AJ Dybantsa is the perfect example of the modern-day NBA wing, thanks to his size, skill, and explosiveness. He can play many positions, create mismatches, and transform from an aggressive attacking wing to a playmaker who initiates offense for teammates. His scoring is the most effective in the mid-range, as most can’t challenge or contest against his size and high release.
Now, BYU Head Coach Kevin Young has a task to surround AJ Dybantsa with enough talent to increase BYU’s overall competitiveness and put the Cougars in the national spotlight. Young told ESPN, “The goal is to win a national championship … Individually their plan is to make me NBA-ready, the No. 1 overall draft pick. They will help me with my three-point shot and put me in different spots that I would play in the NBA.”
