The top college basketball recruit of the class of 2025, A.J. Dybantsa, has announced his commitment to BYU. Dybantsa began his high school career at St. Sebastian’s in Massachusetts and was named the state’s player of the year. He moved to Prolific Prep in Napa, California for his sophomore season, before attending Utah Prep Academy and reclassifying up from the 2026 to the 2025 high school class.
During Tuesday’s episode of ESPN‘s “First Take,” Dybantsa said: “A lot stood out on my visit. Obviously, coach Kevin Young is there. My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA. He coached my favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant, and he had high praise about him. On my visit, head coach all the way down to the analytics guy, analytics guy all the way down to the dietician is all NBA staff, even the strength coach. If it’s all NBA, I’m trying to get to the NBA, I think it’s going to be the best development program for me.” BYU head coach Kevin Young was an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns before joining BYU in April.
The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa – who turns 18 in January – is projected to be a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Utah Prep Academy forward’s final four options included the Cougars, Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina. Dybantsa is currently ranked ahead of Cameron Boozer, a Duke commit; and Darryn Peterson, who will play for Kansas.
Yahoo Sports said of Dybantsa after a USA Basketball minicamp last year: “when Dybantsa is on the court, particularly in 5-on-5 action, it’s hard to focus on anyone else. He has great length with his 6-9 frame and has long strides with the ball in his hands, covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time. He’s moving better off the ball and since he’s such a proficient scorer, it opens up the spacing on the court for his teammates.”
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