BYU Coach Kevin Young On AJ Dybantsa: ‘Generational Talent’
Dec 10, 2024, 11:32 AM | Updated: Dec 11, 2024, 1:20 pm
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball not only received a public commitment from AJ Dybantsa on Tuesday, but the program officially announced his signing.
Dybantsa is part of BYU’s 2025 class and will be on the 2025-26 roster.
AJ Dybantsa signs with BYU Basketball
From the moment BYU head coach Kevin Young replaced Mark Pope last April, he made it clear he wanted to have a program that would prepare players for the pros.
#BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young on the signing of AJ Dybantsa:
“We’re so excited to welcome AJ and his family to BYU. We’ve been able to build a great relationship with him and his family and can’t wait to have them all in BYU blue. AJ is a generational talent. He’s a…
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 10, 2024
BYU basketball coach Kevin Young on Dybantsa
The message is hitting with recruits, particularly Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2025 and a player who is viewed as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
“We’re so excited to welcome AJ and his family to BYU,” Young said. “We’ve been able to build a great relationship with him and his family and can’t wait to have them all in BYU blue. AJ is a generational talent. He’s a great young man who has a strong appetite to be the best player he can be. His versatile skill set and playmaking will seamlessly fit into our style of play. This is a great day for BYU basketball.”
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY @ADybantsa💙 pic.twitter.com/hV2WVt8Epu
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 10, 2024
Dybantsa compared his game to NBA stars
The 6-foot-9 wing has compared his game to Tracy McGrady and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His skill set has also been compared to that of Paul George.
Dybantsa noted during his public commitment on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday that Young’s history coaching Kevin Durant, one of his favorite players, appealed to the Brockton, Massachusetts native.
“It’s not hypothetical.”
Kevin Young on what #BYU can offer recruits that they will be interested in.#BYUHoops pic.twitter.com/spLRzDZvED
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 14, 2024
“One of the things that I think is unique about us is the stuff that we’re talking to recruits and their parents about; it’s not hypothetical,” Young said in November on his pitch to recruits. “I’ve done it at the NBA level. Where these guys are trying to get to, I’ve been there. I’ve lived that life, and I’ve brought a lot of people here on our staff who have also lived that life.
“So when we talk about a strength and conditioning program, it’s not hypothetical. We talk about a nutrition plan for someone to grow their body; it’s not hypothetical. Player development on the court, we’ve got multiple guys who were G-League head coaches. Again, it’s not hypothetical.”
Dybantsa is concluding his senior year at Utah Prep in Hurricane. Before Utah Prep, he played at Prolific Prep, and initially, he began his prep career at St. Sebastian’s near his hometown in Massachusetts.
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As a high school freshman, Dybantsa earned Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year.
In the summer, Dybantsa helped lead Team USA to a championship in the U17 World Cup. During the World Cup, he averaged 14.1 points. 4.1 assists. 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
