NBACentral recently tweeted that ESPN ranked AJ Dybantsa as the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 High School class. NBACentral also added a player comparison about Dybantsa, 17, stating that the young small forward shares similarities with both Paul George and LeBron James. The 2025 HS class arguably has several generational players, such as Dybantsa, a small forward who stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 196 pounds.
Dybantsa is a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, who attended Saint Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass., before transferring to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah. He participated in the 2024 Nike Summit after winning gold medals at 2024 Turkey and 2023 Merida. Here’s why ESPN has Dybantsa as the No. 1 2025 prospect.
The Lowdown On AJ Dynantsa
AJ Dybantsa, born Anicet Dybantsa Jr. on January 29, 2007, was initially classified to the 2026 High School class but later re-classified to the 2025 HS Class. Dybantsa skipped a class as the nation’s top-ranked high school basketball sophomore as of October 2023. At the time, the then-16-year-old came off a solid summer where he led in scoring for both the vaunted Nike EYBL Peach Jam and the NBPA Top 100 Camp.
In case you didn’t know, Dybantsa wasn’t the first NBA-projected prospect to re-classify during a high school basketball offseason. The Montverde Academy’s Cooper Flagg was re-classified from 2025 to 2024 in August 2023. Flagg’s re-classification didn’t affect his ranking, as he remained the nation’s top-rated prospect at the time. Now, he is preparing to do incredible things with the Duke Blue Devils. Dybantsa will most likely have a similar path wherever he chooses to go.
Three Teams That Might Target AJ Dynantsa
AJ Dybantsa won’t have a shortage of suitors when he matriculates to a college basketball career. Dybantsa has received offers from BYU, Michigan, Arkansas, Duke, Texas, Providence, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Washington, Boston College, LSU, and Oregon. However, there are three SEC teams that might target Dybantsa in the near future. Kentucky, Alabama, and Auburn are three of the top candidates to sign the five-star recruit, who has said great things about all three SEC universities in the past.
Referring to Kentucky, Dybansta told KSR, “I’m just blessed, you know? It’s a high-major school with a lot of NBA players and college champions, so knowing they’re watching me and evaluating me, that’s a good feeling. It was my most recent offer, a high-major blue blood. I’m blessed that they’re noticing my talents.”
Kentucky Remains in the Mix for AJ Dybantsa
Kentucky reportedly remains in the mix for AJ Dybantsa, but can the Wildcats land the No. 1 prospect in the High School Class of 2025? The Wildcats may or may not fill their roster with five-star recruits each season like they did the last 15 NCAA seasons, but they still have a chance in snagging the five-star recruit. Dybantsa has previously signaled towards a Winter 2024 or Spring 2025 timeframe to commit to a college basketball team.
AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Holt, and Tyran Stokes are three of the top headline impact transfers for the 2024-25 NCAA season. Dybantsa’s currently weighing his college basketball options as he’s soon to be on the move, and perhaps he will shine at Kentucky in a similar way to Zion Williamson’s shine at Duke in 2018-19. But, in the meantime, he’ll headline a new-look Utah Prep roster this upcoming season. Best of luck to him and his endeavors.
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