NCAA basketball

Top basketball prospect AJ Dybantsa picks BYU over Kansas, North Carolina

Dybantsa is a five-star small forward, widely regarded as one of the best high school prospects of the century

AJ Dybantsa
Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

AJ Dybantsa throws down a dunk at Emmanuel College’s Jean Yawkey Center, Yosinoff Court in Boston.

The courting period for high school basketball prospect AJ Dybantsa has concluded.

The 6-foot-9-inch forward from Brockton, Mass., verbally committed to BYU over a plethora of blue blood programs Tuesday morning.

Kansas, North Carolina and Alabama were the top contenders vying for Dybantsa's size on the perimeter to help anchor them during 2025-2026 men's college basketball season.

It is unclear if Dybantsa plans to stay past his freshman here in Provo as he projects to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but his commitment undoubtedly moves the Cougars up the list of contenders next season.

BYU plays basketball in the Big 12 after years of competition in the Mountain West Conference (1999-2011) and West Coast Conference (2012-2023).

The Cougars have won two NIT tournaments in its men's programs history and also made 31 NCAA tournament appearances, including a pair of runs to the Elite Eight in 1951 and 1981.

Nonetheless, Dybantsa is the most significant name attached to the program since Jimmer Fredette won national player of the year in 2011.

Utah Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge remains the program's most accomplished alum, with two NBA Final wins as a player for the Boston Celtics and another as an executive.

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