AJ Dybantsa reacts as BYU congratulates $4.1 million NIL-valued star’s inclusion in USA’s U19 national team

On Friday, AJ Dybantsa reacted to a congratulatory post from BYU on social media. BYU shared a graphic on Instagram congratulating Dybantsa on his call-up to represent the United States at the upcoming FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.

Fresh off a standout week at USA Basketball’s U19 training camp in Colorado Springs, Dybantsa officially secured a spot on the final 12-man roster. Dybantsa reacted with a couple of emojis. The post featured him smiling in BYU gear, surrounded by action shots of him holding a ball.

“🫡🇺🇸,” Dybantsa wrote.

AJ Dybantsa reacts as BYU congratulates $4.1 million NIL-valued star’s inclusion in USA’s U19 national team - Image source: Instagram/aj.dybantsa

Dybantsa, a forward in the 2025 class and a freshman at BYU, continued to elevate his game and his profile on the international stage. Despite having offers from programs like Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina, he committed to BYU. With a reported NIL valuation of $4.1 million (per On3), Dybantsa could influence on and off the court.

Team USA is set to fly to Switzerland on Tuesday to prepare for the World Cup. They battle Australia in group play on June 28, followed by games on June 29 and July 1.

Dybantsa played key roles in Team USA’s gold medal wins at the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship in Mexico and last summer’s U17 World Cup in Turkey.

His latest performance at the Nike Hoop Summit resulted in 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in an overtime game against the World Select Team.

Analysts select AJ Dybantsa over Darryn Peterson as the top 2025 prospect

Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa were widely considered the top two players in the 2025 class and early favorites to be the first names called in the 2026 NBA draft.

In an episode of the Sleepers Media podcast on Tuesday, Carter Elliott and Greg Waddell weighed in on the growing debate surrounding which of the two stars deserved the No. 1 ranking. The analysts believed Dybantsa may be the better long-term prospect.

“[Dybantsa] is the best player in the class by most services,” Elliott said. “I even started to wonder if Darryn Peterson was better and don’t get me wrong, Peterson is incredible. But AJ’s been up there for so long for a reason.”

Waddell added that Peterson’s commitment to Kansas gave him a certain allure. However, he noted that Dybantsa was aware of the buzz surrounding Peterson.

“You get the sense AJ’s heard all that talk,” Waddell said.

Though Peterson overtook Dybantsa in the rankings back in April, Dybantsa has been impressing with dominant performances during early practices with the U19 USA National Team. On3’s Jack Pilgrim described his play as being “on a planet of his own,” which has reignited the conversation about whether he should reclaim No. 1.

During the 2024–25 high school season, Peterson and his Prolific Prep squad defeated Dybantsa’s Utah Prep squad twice. In their second matchup, Peterson scored an impressive 58 points and scored the game-winning 3-pointer.