From the moment he arrived in Utah, he made his intentions clear. He wasn’t coming to participate in history; he was coming to make it. He’s been on a mission - to navigate BYU to a historic-defining season.
“When I first got here, it didn't feel real because you look outside and there are mountains everywhere. It’s just a beautiful place to be.”
Most freshmen don’t arrive on campus until late August. AJ wasn’t interested in waiting. He moved to Provo in late April - in fact, as soon as he finished his last high school assignment, he packed his bags and headed to BYU. He didn’t even attend his graduation and asked the school to mail him his diploma.
Dybantsa didn’t feel like wasting time in the summer. Instead, he started taking college classes and working out with BYU trainers. If you needed him, there were two places where you could find him – the gym or the classroom.
“My summer workouts started around 7:30 a.m. I would lift, work out, do a study hall, and then I’d have class around 3 p.m. And then I’d repeat it every day,” AJ said.
He spent the offseason perfecting his game, getting better at finishing at the rim, being more consistent from mid-range, and having a lethal three-point shot. A three-level scorer.
Everybody around Dybantsa knows that he is addicted to the grind. If you hear others criticising him, it surely isn’t because of his work ethic, effort, or dedication. Ball truly is life for him.
“I really don’t have other hobbies,” Dybantsa said. “I don’t play video games. If I’m not playing basketball, I’m watching basketball. If I watch a Netflix show, I’m sleeping through it. I can’t watch anything else.”
Dybantsa grew up just outside Boston, constantly playing sports and training with his father. But it wasn’t until the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic that he realised how deeply he loved the game.
With everything shut down, basketball was the one thing that remained. Dybantsa went all out. Over the course of the pandemic summer, he also experienced a 5-inch growth spurt.
By the time things got back to normal and basketball games started running again, Dybantsa wasn’t the same. He blossomed into a prototypical NBA wing - 6-foot-8, athletic, fluid, smooth. His wingspan exceeded 7 feet.
“When tournaments started kicking back up, I outgrew everybody. I had more skill than everybody. That’s when I realised I had a chance.”
As a high school freshman, he averaged 19.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. He was voted the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year.
He later transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, spending two seasons there before finishing his high school career at Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah. His senior season didn’t unfold as planned - Utah Prep failed to qualify for nationals.
Still, Dybantsa entered the recruiting cycle as the No. 1 prospect in the country, drawing interest from powerhouse programs like Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky.
Initially, BYU wasn’t among his final choices. The program has never reached a Final Four, and at the time of his visit, the Cougars hadn’t sent a player to the NBA in 15 years. On paper, it didn’t make sense.
But one visit changed everything. AJ fell in love with BYU and decided to take a road less travelled – to not just become a part of an already great basketball program but create his own legacy while making the program great.
“If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t envision myself being at BYU. I didn’t think I was going to be in Utah this season,” he said. But ultimately, he chose BYU because of its culture and family-like atmosphere.
“It felt like home when I was here on my visit. I was like, ‘I can't not come here.’”
A route that didn’t make much sense to others but made perfect sense to him.
There may have been another subtle influence. Growing up, Dybantsa idolised Kevin Durant. The comparisons - length, fluidity, scoring versatility - followed naturally.
Two years ago, BYU hired Kevin Young as head coach after four seasons as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns, where he worked closely with Durant. Dybantsa wanted insight and decided to reach out.
So, he hit KD up. “He was like, ‘Yo, you're going to like him, so just take the visit and see how you feel about it.’”
And his idol turned into a friend and mentor. Durant gave the young prospect another crucial piece of advice: to become laser-focused and hyper-fixated on his goals. After AJ took the visit, he quickly understood that BYU is the type of environment to allow him to do just that.
For BYU, this is a once-in-a-generation moment. A generational talent representing the navy blue and white is something unique that doesn’t happen often.
But Dybantsa wants to pave the way for future recruits and put BYU on a basketball map as a consistent contender. The wing is not afraid of the spotlight.
“He’s used to it. He’s been on the map since the eighth grade. The cameras, the media, the microphones. This doesn’t faze him anymore. And it’s all because he stays humble,” said his father Ace Dybantsa.
His son instantly won the hearts of BYU fans & coaches through his work ethic, high-motor style of play, and team-first approach. And it shows.
BYU currently sits at No. 19 in the national rankings, seventh in a loaded Big 12 Conference that features multiple ranked teams. But the BYU team proved it can compete with the best. They lost to Arizona by three and seven points and took a win over Iowa State.
The goal is to peak at the right time, with March approaching. Dybantsa’s expectations remain bold. “We're hoping to get to the Final Four ... and then play in the national championship game,” Dybantsa said. “We don't want anything else. It's nothing short of that.”
On average, the prodigy records 25.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 53% from the field and nearly 37% from beyond the arc. He leads the nation in scoring and has been consistent and reliable through the course of the season.
Dybantsa never takes a play off and competes on both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-9, he’s every NBA team’s dream. The Boston native is projected to become the No. 1 draft pick in June.
“The ultimate goal is to get to the NBA, and if you get to the NBA, you have a chance to do whatever you want,” AJ said. “But No. 1 pick? I've got to get it.”
He possesses every tool to succeed at the next level and keeps working on his weaknesses. His path is anything but ordinary. And while he prepares for the NBA, he also remains present and focused on the task at hand.
Winning at BYU.
“I want to be remembered here as a person that came in embracing the culture, embracing the fans. But on the court, a player that came to win and gave the crowd a very exciting show.”