In one season at BYU, AJ left a legacy for the ages
Why BYU was the right place for AJ Dybantsa — and vice versa.
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) gestures to his teammates as he brings the ball up the court during a first-round college basketball game against Texas in the NCAA Tournament held at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. , on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News AJ Dybantsa could have gone anywhere in the country and he chose BYU.
He could have made more money at other places and he chose BYU. He could have found a larger media market to play in and he chose BYU. He could have also returned for another season, but he chose the NBA.
To no one’s surprise, Dybantsa announced Thursday from his former middle school in Brockton, Massachusetts, that he will declare for the NBA draft, where the 6-foot-9 superstar is widely projected to make BYU history as the No. 1 overall pick. During his lone season in Provo, Dybantsa did more for BYU basketball than anyone could have imagined.
First: He announced his decision on ESPN and told the world that BYU was a better place for him over North Carolina, Kansas, Alabama and everybody else. Second: His presence on the team boosted the Cougars to their highest preseason ranking (No. 8) in program history.
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