Number One Ranked High School Basketball Player Makes College Decision
AJ Dybantsa, the number one ranked player in the class of 2025 announced on Tuesday morning that he is committing to BYU. He chose the Cougars over North Carolina, Kansas, and Alabama. He made the announcement live on ESPN’s “First Take” in what turned out to be a huge day for BYU basketball. The 6’9 small forward from Brockton, MA is projected to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and possesses traits of a modern-day wing in the NBA.
Dybantsa is BYU’s first five-star recruit in school history. This is a big win for first-year coach Kevin Young, who made a great impression on Dybanstsa as soon as he was hired last spring. Young came from the NBA’s Phoneix Suns and coached Dybantsa’s favorite player, Kevin Durant. Young has built his staff with NBA experience which was a huge factor for Dybantsa.
Dybantsa is one of the top scorers in high school basketball. He won Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season and averaged 23.1 points on 51 percent shooting at the Nike Peach Jam last summer. He transferred from Prolific Prep in California to Utah Prep over the summer and reclassified from the 2026 class to the 2025 class and jumped into the number-one ranking thereafter. NBA scouts have already taken notice of the 17-year-old prospect due to his participation in USA Basketball. Dybantsa won gold medals with the U16 team and U17 team. Scouts like his ability to play multiple positions and his ability to be a mismatch for most players. He finds most of his scoring in the midrange due to his size and high release. He makes plays defensively by blocking shots due to having a quick second jump and guarding different positions on the perimeter.
His goals are to win a national championship at BYU and become NBA-ready by the time he declares for the draft. BYU is losing four seniors from this year's roster and potential lottery picks in Egor Denim and Kanon Catchings. BYU is not really considered a team to watch in the national championship discussion, but with the addition of Dybants, he gives the Cougars a chance to compete for one in 2025-26. Fans will have to wait til next November to see him compete but when he does he becomes one of college basketball’s most dynamic and incredible superstars to watch.
