A.J. Dybantsa, the top college basketball recruit in the class of 2025, announced his commitment to BYU during Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take.”
“A lot stood out on my visit,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously, coach Kevin Young there. My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA. He coached my favorite player of all-time, Kevin Durant, and he had high praise about him. On my visit, head coach all the way down to the analytics guy, analytics guy all the way down to the dietician is all NBA staff, even the strength coach.
“If it’s all NBA, I’m trying to get to the NBA, I think it’s going to be the best development program for me.”
BUY head coach Kevin Young was an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns before taking on the BYU job in April.
The Cougars were one of the 6-foot-9 Utah Prep Academy forward’s final four options, which also included Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina. All four schools were aware that Dybantsa is likely to be a one-and-done as he’s projected to be a top pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
BYU has not had an NBA draft pick since Jimmer Fredette went No. 10 overall in 2011.
Dybantsa, who will turn 18 in January, is currently ranked ahead of Cameron Boozer, a Duke commit and son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, and Darryn Peterson, who will play for Kansas.
“When Dybantsa is on the court, particularly in 5-on-5 action, it’s hard to focus on anyone else,” wrote Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek of Dybantsa after a USA Basketball minicamp last year. “He has great length with his 6-9 frame and has long strides with the ball in his hands, covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time. He’s moving better off the ball and since he’s such a proficient scorer, it opens up the spacing on the court for his teammates.
When asked who he models his game after, Dybantsa said he sees himself in the mold of a combination of Tracy McGrady and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Dybantsa, who has NIL deals with Red Bull and Nike, began his high school career at St. Sebastian’s in Massachusetts, where he was name the state’s player of the year. He then moved to Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif. for his sophomore season before settling in at Utah Prep Academy and reclassifying up from the 2026 to the 2025 high school class.
