'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMKlLf/EAB4QAAICAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAIQURUXOx/9oACAEBAAE/AKFBE4FmeFJ5rgQQltmJ0k340V+4OPtDQjj69aZ//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEf/aAAgBAwEBPwBTp//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AJ Dybantsa finished his senior year of high school basketball career at Utah Prep as the No. 1 player in the nation. The 6-foot-9 small forward is set to begin his collegiate career at the BYU Cougars next season.
Dybantsa, who missed the prestigious Iverson Classic All-American Game on May 2 because of his BYU enrollment, posted a video on Instagram working on his shots at the Cougars' practice facility on Wednesday. His story was reshared by a user on X (formerly Twitter):
"AJ Dybantsa gets in on the BYU action. I think he's going to start and dominate from the get go!," the user, Brys Underw00d, oposted.
Trending
Dybantsa seemed to convert his mid-range jumper over the defender easily.
AJ Dybantsa attended Saint Sebastian's School, transferred to Prolific Prep before his sophomore year, teaming up with the No. 1 player in the Class of 2026 (according to On3's Industry Rankings), Tyran Stokes. He played his senior year at Utah Prep.
In a YouTube video uploaded by BYUtv Sports Nation on May 3, Dybantsa talked about what excites and intimidates him most about college:
"I think it's more just exciting just to see what it's like, because I have a sister in college and she keeps telling me about college classes," Dybantsa said (0:27).
"I want to see if the rumors are true, if it's hard or not. I don't think it's really intimidating. I'm not too nervous about going to college."
On being asked Dybantsa if he had talked to his new teammates, he responded that he has only met Dawson Baker and Keba Keita, apart from his Utah Prep teammate Xavion Staton:
"I mean, me and Xavion have been doing the whole process together," Dybantsa said (01:18). "A lot of guys are out right now, injured or just away. But I mean, I saw Keba this morning, I saw Dawson yesterday. So just trying to, you know, mingle."
AJ Dybantsa talks about his NBA aspirations
In his Mock 2026 NBA Draft, ESPN's Jonathan Givony put AJ Dybantsa in second spot and projected him to go to the New Orleans Pelicans after Kansas Jayhawks signee Darryn Peterson.
He talked about his aspiration to play in the NBA and that he only wants to spend one year at the Cougars:
“Obviously, that’s a goal (going to the NBA), I’m only trying to go there (BYU) for one year,” Dybantsa told Gabriella Gonzalez during a Q&A in February.
Dybantsa will be joined by Xavion Staton and Chamberlain Burgress next season.
