AJ Dybantsa greeted with standing ovation at BYU in first appearance since signing with the Cougars

BYU made a massive splash in the college basketball world earlier this week, as it signed Utah Prep School Five-Star Plus+ small forward AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 cycle.

Kevin Young and the Cougars beat out Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas for the 6-foot-9, 200-pound phenom. On Wednesday night, Dybantsa was in Provo at the Marriott Center to watch BYU defeat Fresno State 95-67.

At halftime, BYU played a video introducing Dybantsa, who then came out to the court and embraced the Cougar faithful amidst a standing ovation:

AJ Dybantsa’s first introduction at the Marriott Center.#BYU #BYUHoops pic.twitter.com/DfTJS5Waqw

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 12, 2024

“It was fun, everybody supporting me, like it said ‘welcome home,’ I mean it’s going to be my next home, everybody’s got to be a family, I like how it was just a family atmosphere,” Dybansta told BYU Sports Nation after he was introduced.

The former No. 1 player in the 2026 class, Dybantsa reclassified up to the 2025 cycle — his original class — in October of 2023. He took a slew of visits throughout his process, but the Cougars were always a factor. He took his official visit to Provo this October and is now the highest-ranked prospect to ever sign with the new Big 12 program.

“Kevin Young was an NBA coach, so he is telling me that he will bring a lot of NBA styles and concepts to the program. He told me that he thought he would be a good coach to help me get to that next level,” Dybantsa said of the BYU coach this summer.

“It’s good that he has NBA experience. I mean, I’m trying to get to the NBA, so anyone that has NBA experience or anyone that has brought people to the NBA or coached in the NBA is going to have knowledge for that. The campus there was nice. It is only like three hours away from where Utah Prep is.”

On Tuesday night, ESPN’s Jay Bilas said that Dybantsa could have an argument for being the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, along with the likes of Duke freshman Cooper Flagg and Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper. The Cougars are set to welcome a generational talent to campus for year two of the Kevin Young era in 2025.

AJ Dybantsa Scouting Profile

On3 Director of Scouting Jamie Shaw writes this about him as a prospect:

“The No. 1 player in the 2025 class, AJ Dybantsa, showcased a powerful arsenal. He has a dynamic offensive game at a lengthy 6-foot-9 and he showed a full array of scoring moves when he was playing 18 feet and in. Dybantsa has excellent footwork in the mid-post. He was able to utilize different upfakes and step-throughs to create clean opportunities for himself. Something that I saw tonight was a hitch in his jump shot, off the catch, when he gets to the apex of his shot load. While he made his first one, this is something that he is going to have to iron out as it leads to inconsistencies from range. While some things were a little forced for him tonight, one thing that I really liked about Dybantsa’s game in this one was that he was quick and decisive with his decision-making. Dybantsa worked straight to the rim with minimal moves to get there. His length and athletic pop, really shined through while showcasing some skill in his offensive arsenal. Working through the jump shot will be necessary, so teams cannot just sag and clog with him, but he was able to impose his will at times in this one. Dybantsa has immense upside.”