Devin Booker On AJ Dybantsa Picking BYU: ‘He’s In Great Hands With Coach K.Y.’
Dec 20, 2024, 1:19 PM
PROVO, Utah – AJ Dybantsa’s signing with BYU has caused many in the basketball world to wonder how the Cougars pulled it off.
There’s one NBA All-Star that isn’t surprised by the move. That’s Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Devin Booker sees AJ Dybantsa taking his game to the “next level” at BYU
Booker, who famously referred to BYU as “KYU” after Kevin Young was hired as BYU’s head coach, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that Dybantsa would do well at BYU because of Young.
Prep phenom @ADybantsa surprisingly chose BYU to help prepare him for the #NBA. Projected 2026 No. 1 draft pick talks NBA experience of #BYU coach Kevin Young, his honest father-son relationship, his NIL $, the growing spotlight, his NBA mentors and more. https://t.co/WK1qAsHLjC
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 20, 2024
“He’s in great hands with coach K.Y. We’ve done a lot of special things together. He allowed me to take my game to the next level and he’s going to do the same for him,” Booker said to Andscape on AJ Dybantsa signing with BYU.
Before becoming BYU’s head coach, Kevin Young was an assistant coach on the Phoenix Suns staff from 2020 to 2024. He also worked with the Philadelphia 76ers and was an NBA G-League head coach.
With Kevin Young on the Suns staff, who operated as unofficial offensive coordinator in Phoenix, Booker never shot below 53% in effective field goal percentage. In his previous five years before Young arrived, he only had one season above 53% in effective field goal percentage.
you’re always welcome to visit KYU @DevinBook 😏 pic.twitter.com/pIPMgYHrnw
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) April 17, 2024
During the 2021-22 season, Booker finished fourth in MVP voting.
Dybantsa has consistently maintained that he is a one-and-done prospect in the college ranks and that NBA preparation was important to the college he selected. The 6-foot-9 wing is projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
Kevin Young has a vision to develop players for the pro game
Young has leaned into his program, taking on the identity of being a place to develop and prepare players for the professional ranks. Before Dybantsa signed with BYU, Young laid out his recruiting pitch to prospects on the recruiting trail.
“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. “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.”
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.
