AJ Dybansta, nation's No. 1 recruit, says he could beat Kevin Durant in a game of 1-on-1

When you’re the No. 1 high school basketball recruit in the country regardless of class like AJ Dybantsa is, confidence is not in short supply.

The 6’9 forward out of Hurricane’s Utah Prep is as pure of a scorer as there is in the country, and he has said on multiple occasions that he models his game after NBA star Kevin Durant. How would a face-off between them go down, though? Dybantsa believes he’d have the upper hand over the 15-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer — right now.

In an interview with BallIsLife.com at the Nike Future Games, Dybantsa said he could take Durant in a game of 1-on-1. He was asked who he’d most like to face in a matchup and responded, “Kevin Durant…my favorite player.”

He was then asked what the final score would be and with no hesitation stated, “Like 11-10, me.”

While his claim seems shocking, it doesn’t come from a place of any disrespect. Dybantsa has trained with Durant previously, as well as other NBA stars like LeBron James and Devin Booker. Asked who would be on his all-time starting 5 list, he included James, Durant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal … and himself.

Dybantsa could go wire-to-wire as nation’s No. 1 prospect

Originally a member of the Class of 2026, Dybantsa reclassified up a year in October 2023. At the time, he was the No. 1 player in ’26, and quickly was tabbed as the top player in 2025 as well. Since then, he has held onto that ranking, despite a host of challengers like Cameron Boozer, Nate Ament and Darryn Peterson.

He remains atop the list because of his long-term potential, but also because of the improvements he has made in the past year-plus at the high school level. Earlier this month, On3 Director of Scouting Jamie Shaw broke down what he’s seen from Dybantsa:

“Listed at 6-foot-9 and carrying a reported wing span of around 7-foot-0, the positional size is very intriguing. With the current average height of an NBA small forward being just over 6-foot-6, Dybantsa clears that with ease. … Watching his game, you see the twitchy athletic disposition. But one thing I liked that he added this summer was that he was decisive in getting downhill toward the rim. He was not hesitant about playing to and through contact. In previous viewings, Dybantsa utilized footwork and played within a phone booth from the elbows. Certainly, the ability to create space within two dribbles and garner a clean look is a skill that will only enhance his offensive output at the highest levels, however, this summer was different.”

In a meeting between his Utah Prep team and Peterson’s Prolific Prep earlier this month, Dybantsa put up 49 points and nine rebounds. But Peterson’s team ultimately came out on top behind a jaw-dropping 58-point performance from the Kansas signee. Those two will face off multiple times next year in the Big 12, and while it won’t be a 1v1 game with Durant, there will be no shortage of hype around those matchups.