AJ Dybantsa expresses gratitude to BYU basketball in LinkedIn post
Apr 27, 2026, 10:40 PM | Updated: Apr 28, 2026, 10:42 am
PROVO, Utah – AJ Dybantsa is preparing for his next stop in the NBA, where he is projected to be selected as the No. 1 pick.
However, before he fully settles into NBA Draft prep, he made sure to send a “Thank You” note to the BYU basketball program, head coach Kevin Young, and Cougar fans.
Like a true professional, AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer in college basketball this past season, shared his thank-you post on LinkedIn.
AJ Dybantsa sends a “Thank You” message to BYU basketball
“When I committed to BYU, I knew I was signing up for something bigger than basketball. A lot of people questioned the decision. For me, the choice was simple. I wanted to go to the place that would best develop me as a basketball player and as a person. BYU was the program that gave me the clearest path to both,” Dybantsa wrote on LinkedIn.
“The moment I stepped on campus, I knew I made the right call. This school welcomed me in, raised the standard for me, and made me a better person every single day I was there. From the coaching staff to the professors to the fans walking across campus, this is a community unlike any other in college sports.”
Dybantsa then made sure to thank head coach Kevin Young. When Young took over the BYU head coach position two years ago, he quickly made AJ and his parents Ace and Chelsea Dybantsa a top priority in his recruiting efforts.
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AJ Dybantsa continued, “Coach Young, thank you for trusting me with the keys to your program. You came to BYU with an NBA mind and a deep belief in what this place could become. You pushed me harder than I’ve ever been pushed, and you cared about me as a person before you cared about me as a player. I’ll carry the lessons you taught me for the rest of my life.
“To my teammates, the bond we built this year goes way beyond basketball. The film sessions, the bus rides, the late nights in the gym, the conversations that had nothing to do with the game. Y’all are brothers for life. I’m rooting for every single one of you.”
Then Dybantsa closed it out by thanking BYU basketball fans. From the moment he was introduced to Cougar Nation during halftime of the Fresno State game in 2024, one day after committing to BYU on ESPN, to his final game in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Dybantsa delivered memorable performances for BYU fans.
Will AJ Dybantsa maintain a relationship with BYU basketball moving forward in the future?
"Yeah, for sure. 1000%."@kslsports pic.twitter.com/YPaLV6oD5L
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 20, 2026
“To Coug Nation, what y’all do for this program is special. The way fans show up for BYU basketball is unlike anything in the country. The kindness I felt walking around campus and the city of Provo, the families who treated me like one of their own, the kids who came up to me everywhere I went. That’s the part of this experience I’ll remember most.
“I am proud to have worn the Y. I’m proud to have represented this university. I’m proud to be a Cougar for life. The next chapter starts now, but BYU will always be a part of who I am. Go Cougs.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
