"This is part of the deal": Analyst sheds light on one major condition AJ Dybantsa's father presented prior to BYU commitment

AJ Dybantsa will enter his college freshman year as the No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2025. Dybantsa committed to BYU in December despite offers from other top schools, including Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina, among others.

Basketball analyst Jeff Goodman revealed a major condition that AJ's dad, Ace, presented before his son committed to the Cougars.

"There isn't much to get me to leave Charleston in mid-November. Going back home to Boston to see AJ's return," Goodman said on Wednesday (12:22), via "Field of 68." "To Boston, UConn, that'll be good. That was something that was in the works for a while, finally got done. It took a while but AJ's father, Ace really wanted that.

"When they committed to BYU, that was a game he almost said like, "yeah, yeah, this is partof the deal. He might not have said like, "it's a deal breaker" but it was like "hey we're coming here. We want a homecoming too. We want a game back in Boston."

Dybantsa was a member of the 2026 class before reclassifying to 2025 in October 2023. He won Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2022-23. At the Nike Peach Jam in 2023, he led in scoring with 22.6 points, along with 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Dybantsa shot 51.9%, including 36.7% from 3-point range.

He was also part of the USA team that won the FIBA U19 World Cup at Lausanne, Switzerland, in June.

AJ Dybantsa competing with Kansas star for overall top pick in 2026

AJ Dybantsa chose to start his collegiate career at BYU despite offers from top schools like North Carolina. His projection as the NBA's No. 1 pick in 2026 is threatened by incoming Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

"The headliners of the 2026 class are Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (ESPN’s current No. 1-ranked prospect) and BYU wing AJ Dybantsa, with NBA teams regarding them as the two strongest contenders at the top,” Marks wrote on Aug. 14.

“NBA teams I’ve spoken with view Peterson vs. Dybantsa as a real debate at this stage. Both players will have more to prove as one-and-done freshmen, creating a major storyline entering the fall.”

While Dybantsa and Peterson lead the pack, the race for next year's national championship is expected to be highly competitive. Schools like UConn, Duke and more added top prospects to their rosters ahead of the 2025-26 season.