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  "path": "/sports/2026/05/25/aj-dybantsa-best-byu-performances-potential-top-nba-draft-pick/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-26T01:00:03.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.deseret.com",
  "tags": [
    "Oklahoma State",
    "pic.twitter.com/v1cGx6QIKs",
    "February 5, 2026",
    "AJ Dybantsa will be revered at BYU forever",
    "AJ Dybantsa believes he is No. 1, and that belief sets him apart",
    "March 10 against Kansas State",
    "Dybantsa exploded for 40 points",
    "pic.twitter.com/z1RzAFgvWh",
    "March 11, 2026",
    "Dec. 22 against Eastern Washington",
    "notching a triple-double",
    "pic.twitter.com/quHn7dqkCQ",
    "December 23, 2025",
    "pic.twitter.com/0dTBy2vaGW",
    "January 25, 2026",
    "Dec. 9 against Clemson",
    "a historic BYU comeback",
    "pic.twitter.com/SdXJU00lc9",
    "December 10, 2025",
    "Feb. 21 against No. 6 Iowa State",
    "pic.twitter.com/XwwOhABZSv",
    "February 22, 2026",
    "pic.twitter.com/7RnbsS38jA",
    "November 4, 2025",
    "pic.twitter.com/gTyIU3cIss",
    "November 16, 2025",
    "Big12MBB",
    "@BYUMBB",
    "pic.twitter.com/BEWA1N3fGS",
    "December 20, 2025",
    "pic.twitter.com/OvW77sQ4Y0",
    "February 8, 2026",
    "pic.twitter.com/Aa51gbgfLw",
    "February 11, 2026",
    "@Frankie_Vision",
    "pic.twitter.com/R7Dkym5Go3",
    "May 19, 2026",
    "@TheFieldOf68",
    "@brhoops",
    "@EnsignHoops",
    "@big12studios",
    "@ThaddeusDong",
    "@GregFinberg"
  ],
  "textContent": "AJ Dybantsa provided hundreds of highlights during his freshman year at BYU.\n\nBut one moment in particular stands out most for me.\n\nIt wasn’t part of a special showcase matchup or prestigious TV window. It didn’t come in a tournament setting, nor against an NCAA Tournament team. BYU didn’t even win the game where it happened.\n\nInstead, it occurred on an undistinguished Wednesday night in early February, and in a half-empty arena in Oklahoma.\n\nAs the Cougars visited Oklahoma State on Feb. 4, Dybantsa poured in 36 points with seven rebounds and four assists, making 13 of 20 total shot attempts and going 5 for 8 from 3-point range.\n\nIt was another elite offensive outing for Dybantsa, as those had seemingly become routine for him by that point in the campaign and would continue to occur into the postseason.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa throws it DOWN to tie it at the half against Oklahoma State 😤pic.twitter.com/v1cGx6QIKs\n>\n> — The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 5, 2026\n\nHowever, as outstanding as Dybantsa was that night, his scoring 36 points and netting five triples aren’t what made it such a significant memory.\n\nInstead, I was most struck by what his scoring showcase did to the people around me.\n\nAs I watched from press row at Gallagher-Iba Arena, the handful of local Oklahoma media members sitting nearby were in absolute awe of Dybantsa. Every time he got a bucket, whether it came on an outside jumper or tough trip down the lane, resulted in an audible, unbridled reaction from the media folk. Some gasped or exclaimed in amazement. Others would say something along the lines of “you can’t be serious” or “this is crazy.”\n\nNone of them could believe what they were seeing, and I had never witnessed such captivation on press row. It felt how I’d imagine the initial audiences for “Star Wars” reacted back in 1977.\n\nIt wasn’t like these media members hadn’t seen great basketball before. Some of them covered the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and their league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The NBA’s No. 1 draft pick in 2021, Cade Cunningham, had played at Oklahoma State, and plenty of other top Big 12 talents had come to play in Stillwater over the years as well.\n\nYet Dybantsa had the Oklahoma media practically in hysterics. I always believed Dybantsa was a special player, but perhaps watching his consistent excellence made me a bit numb to just how impressive he truly was. Seeing others around me so blown away by Dybantsa helped me put it all into perspective.\n\nAJ Dybantsa will be revered at BYU forever\n\nAJ Dybantsa believes he is No. 1, and that belief sets him apart\n\nIn a little less than a month, Dybantsa will hear his name called at the NBA draft, potentially as its No. 1 selection. BYU may not land another player quite like him ever again, but the show he put on in Provo this past year will never be forgotten.\n\nTruthfully, I don’t think Dybantsa’s Oklahoma State outburst was even among his five best games as a Cougar — it’s probably barely inside his top 10. That’s just how good he was.\n\nHere’s a look back at the most premier performances from Dybantsa at BYU.\n\n### Conference tournament takeover\n\n#### March 10 against Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament\n\nPrior to the start of the Big 12 tournament, it was announced that Arizona’s Jaden Bradley had been named conference Player of the Year over Dybantsa.\n\nBradley’s selection was somewhat surprising, considering Dybantsa had led the nation in scoring and would go on to make the All-America First Team.\n\nWhile Dybantsa did offer praise in saying Bradley’s honor was “well-deserved,” he made quite a statement regarding the snub in his next time on the court.\n\nFacing Kansas State — and win-or-go-home stakes — in the Big 12 tournament’s opening round, Dybantsa exploded for 40 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his first taste of postseason play.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa just WENT OFF in his Big 12 Tournament debut 🔥\n>\n> Dybantsa finished with 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in the win. pic.twitter.com/z1RzAFgvWh\n>\n> — B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 11, 2026\n\nPrior to Dybantsa, only one player had ever scored 40 points in a Big 12 tournament game, with Dybantsa becoming the first freshman to accomplish the feat.\n\nOf BYU’s 86 points from its starting five, nearly 47% came from Dybantsa, who shot 15 of 21 from the field, swiped three steals on defense and finished with a plus/minus of +25 in the Cougars’ 105-91 victory.\n\nDybantsa scored 93 total points across three Big 12 tournament appearances, breaking Kevin Durant’s 19-year scoring record at the event.\n\n### History over the holidays\n\n#### Dec. 22 against Eastern Washington at the Marriott Center\n\nThree days before Christmas, Dybantsa put a perfect bow on BYU’s nonconference slate.\n\nDybantsa posted 33 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Eastern Washington, notching a triple-double — the first at BYU since 2016 — in just his 13th collegiate contest.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa puts up first career triple-double 🔥\n>\n> 33 PTS | 11-13 FG | 10 REB | 10 AST | 36 MINS pic.twitter.com/quHn7dqkCQ\n>\n> — B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 23, 2025\n\nUntil Dybantsa, no Cougar had ever put up 30 points in a triple-double — it had never happened in 124 seasons of basketball at BYU.\n\nDybantsa also became the youngest owner of such a stat line in NCAA history, along with the first Division-I player this century with a 30-point triple-double on 80% shooting.\n\n### Rocking the rivalry\n\n#### Jan. 24 against Utah at the Marriott Center\n\nWhile his time in Provo only saw two matchups against rival Utah, Dybantsa clearly made the most of them.\n\nDybantsa’s second meeting with the Runnin’ Utes resulted in a career-high 43 points, cementing his place within rivalry lore forever.\n\nUtah chose to double-team Dybantsa rather infrequently, allowing him to sink 15 of 24 shot attempts — and 4 of 5 3-pointers — in BYU’s highest-ever individual scoring performance against Utah.\n\n> AJ DYBANTSA vs Utah\n>\n> 43 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST pic.twitter.com/0dTBy2vaGW\n>\n> — BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 25, 2026\n\nThe 43-point effort also broke the Cougars’ record for most freshman points in a single game — a mark held by Danny Ainge for 43 years before Dybantsa’s dominant night, which also included six rebounds, three assists and a block.\n\n### Greatness at the Garden\n\n#### Dec. 9 against Clemson in New York City\n\nDybantsa will likely make dozens of visits to Madison Square Garden during his NBA career, especially if he’s drafted by the Washington Wizards.\n\nHowever, his first time playing at “the Mecca of basketball” for the Jimmy V Classic will be hard to top.\n\nYou may remember Rob Wright III’s game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap a historic BYU comeback and stun Clemson — but don’t forget about Dybantsa’s late heroics in helping to erase such a daunting deficit. He completely took over the game.\n\nAfter BYU trailed Clemson by 21 points at halftime, Dybantsa scored or assisted on 34 of the Cougars’ 45 second-half points. He scored more second-half points on his own (22) than Clemson did as a team (21), outshooting the Tigers (7 of 11 against 7 of 27) during that same span.\n\nAdditionally, after having scored 20 points after halftime, Dybantsa pivoted to playmaking, leveraging his immense gravity to dish out assists on four straight possessions.\n\nIn all, Dybantsa tallied 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists — all personal bests at the time that were each surpassed in his next three games.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa just went OFF at Madison Square Garden 🔥\n>\n> 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists and the win against Clemson pic.twitter.com/SdXJU00lc9\n>\n> — B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 10, 2025\n\nBut those numbers become even more impressive when factoring in the stage and circumstances involved.\n\nPlaying in the world’s most famous arena and in front of a national television audience, Dybantsa turned into a do-it-all, dynamic one-man wrecking crew capable of putting the team on his back.\n\n### Stunning the Cyclones\n\n#### Feb. 21 against No. 6 Iowa State at the Marriott Center\n\nBYU’s signature win of the past season also proved to be Dybantsa’s signature performance as a Cougar.\n\nAgainst the No. 6-ranked Cyclones, Dybantsa played all 40 minutes to provide a near triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, leading BYU to an electric 79-69 upset victory.\n\n> AJ DYBANTSA vs Iowa State\n>\n> 29 PTS | 10 REB | 9 AST pic.twitter.com/XwwOhABZSv\n>\n> — BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 22, 2026\n\nThe offense was certainly tremendous, but Dybantsa’s defense was his most valuable contribution by far. He drew the assignment of guarding Cyclones leading scorer Milan Momcilovic and essentially rendered him invisible, as the typically prolific shooter was held to just five points with one made field goal.\n\nIn addition to locking down Momcilovic, Dybantsa had a block, steal and forced nine Cyclone stops.\n\nIf you’re lukewarm on Dybantsa as an NBA prospect, watch his film against Iowa State. It’s some of his best evidence for being the No. 1 pick.\n\n### Other notable performances\n\n**Nov. 3 against Villanova in Las Vegas:** 21 points, 9 of 18 shooting, six rebounds, three assists.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa in his NCAA debut:\n>\n> 21 PTS\n> 5 REB\n> 3 AST\n> 9/18 FG\n>\n> Came up huge down the stretch to help #8 BYU defeat Villanova 71-66\n>  pic.twitter.com/7RnbsS38jA\n>\n> — Ensign Hoops (@EnsignHoops) November 4, 2025\n\n**Nov. 15 against No. 3 UConn in Boston:** 25 points, 8 of 14 shooting, six rebounds.\n\n> Potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa against UConn at TD Garden:\n>\n> 25 PTS | 8-14 FG | 2-3 3PT | 6 REB pic.twitter.com/gTyIU3cIss\n>\n> — B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 16, 2025\n\n**Dec. 19 against Abilene Christian:** 35 points, 9 of 12 shooting, 17 for 20 on free throws, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.\n\n> AJ DYBANTSA WITH A CAREER HIGH NIGHT VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN🔥🔥🔥\n>\n> 🔺35 POINTS\n> 🔺9/12 from the FIELD\n> 🔺6 Rebounds\n> 🔺2 Steals\n>\n> Highlights⬇️#Big12MBB | @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/BEWA1N3fGS\n>\n> — Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) December 20, 2025\n\n**Feb. 7 against No. 7 Houston:** 28 points, 9 of 14 shooting, 3 for 4 on 3-pointers, five rebounds, four assists.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa vs Houston\n>\n> 28 PTS (9-14 FG, 3-4 3PT, 7-12 FTs)\n> 5 REBS\n> 4 AST\n> 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/OvW77sQ4Y0\n>\n> — . (@ThaddeusDong) February 8, 2026\n\n**Feb. 10 at Baylor:** 36 points, 14 of 20 shooting, five rebounds, seven assists.\n\n> AJ DYBANTSA vs Baylor\n>\n> 36 PTS | 5 REB| 7 AST | 1 STL pic.twitter.com/Aa51gbgfLw\n>\n> — BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 11, 2026\n\n**NCAA tournament first round against Texas:** 35 points, 11 of 25 shooting, 12 for 12 on free throws, 10 rebounds.\n\n> AJ Dybantsa vs. Texas in the NCAA Tournament:\n>\n> 35 PTS\n> 10 REB\n> 11-25 FG\n> 12-12 FT\n>\n> (🎥 via @Frankie_Vision) pic.twitter.com/R7Dkym5Go3\n>\n> — Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) May 19, 2026",
  "title": "Looking back at AJ Dybantsa’s best BYU performances"
}