BYU Reportedly Lines Up Big East Team For AJ Dybantsa Debut
Dec 20, 2024, 9:32 AM
BYU basketball signee AJ Dybantsa will reportedly face Villanova in Las Vegas in his debut. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – The AJ Dybantsa era for BYU basketball will generate a lot of interest.
Dybantsa is the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025. He will join the BYU program next summer after he’s done with his senior year at Utah Prep.
When BYU begins the anticipated 2025-26 season with Dybantsa in the fold, it will reportedly begin the year in Las Vegas against Big East powerhouse Villanova.
Report: BYU basketball will face Villanova
The report comes from CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein.
NEWS: AJ Dybantsa — the top ranked player in the 2025 class — will make his college debut at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as BYU will play Villanova on opening night of the 2025-26 college basketball season, according to multiple sources.https://t.co/eNF8YFyUEA
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 20, 2024
Rothstein added that the game will be played on college basketball’s opening night, which is Monday, November 3, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Sin City.
History against the Wildcats
BYU and Villanova have squared off three previous times, with all of the meetings taking place on neutral floors. They met in 1984, 1970, and 1951.
Villanova has won three national championships in its history, including titles in 2016 and 2018 under former head coach Jay Wright.
Villanova is currently led by head coach Kyle Neptune, who is in his third year leading the Wildcats.
Another game that BYU has lined up as part of its 2025-26 nonconference schedule next season: a trip to Wyoming in Laramie.
The arrival of AJ Dybantsa will put BYU in the national spotlight next season.
Dybantsa is projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 wing has maintained that his plan in college hoops is to be a one-and-done player.
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.
