AJ Dybantsa reveals secret to landing his commitment, Hall of Fame goals

AJ Dybantsa is the next generational talent to come through the basketball world, and his recruitment reflects that. It’s why there’s not much to talk about whenever he’s asked about interested schools or coaches prioritizing him as he approaches a decision. Everyone is interested and everyone is prioritizing the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect. He holds 32 scholarship offers and could have dozens more if those programs felt they had even the slightest of shots to land him — they just know better.

There are a few things we do know, however. For one, he’s likely committing in February, his father Ace Dybantsa tells KSR. We also know he’ll be taking five or six visits this fall, those finalized in the coming weeks. A list cut will go hand in hand with the announcement of those visits. He’s also promised his mother he’ll be going to college, cutting all professional routes from contention.

Oh, and he’s going to be very, very expensive. Historically expensive.

“Everywhere we go, he is going to get NIL,” his father told KSR+.

How does one land AJ Dybantsa?

Those are the facts. From there, it’s on the schools fighting for his services to land one of those prized official visits and make the upcoming list cut. The ball is in their court.

What’s the secret to joining the Dybantsas in the upcoming stages of the five-star wing’s recruitment? How does one get into that exclusive party? It’s not too complicated, surprisingly.

“No sugarcoating. That’s about it,” the No. 1 recruit told KSR.

Simple enough.

Kentucky has offered and is pushing for a visit, as are BYU, Arkansas, Alabama, UConn and Auburn, among numerous others. He’s the most heavily pursued prospect in high school basketball and fairly open, all things considered. That puts Dybantsa in a unique spot in terms of development. As a clear-cut future NBA superstar with unprecedented NIL coming his way, there’s no real chip on his shoulder — at the surface level, at least. Cam Boozer is nipping at his heels in the rankings because he’s got the highest floor at the collegiate level, but no one sniffs Dybantsa in terms of pro potential. He’s got all-world upside.

Improving as the No. 1 recruit

How does one keep the fire lit when you’re seen as one of the clearest guarantees in recent memory? How does one improve when you’re already the best in the world?

By competing against the only people who can beat you: NBA superstars.

“I’m not in the league yet, so there is still so much stuff I can improve on,” he told KSR. “When I work out with NBA players, I’m obviously not at that level yet, so I’ve just got a lot of stuff I need to work on.”

And when he plays high school or AAU ball, he’s not focused on simply winning games, but dominating games. The current measuring stick for him personally is whether or not he can destroy current competition ahead of college and the NBA.

“You play to dominate and you play to win,” he added. “We play to establish our dominance, not to just win by one point.”

How good could he be in the NBA today?

Knowing what he knows now by working out with some of the game’s all-time greats, how would he stack up against NBA competition in the league today? As confident as he is, he’s not delusional. He’s competed against the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George and Chris Paul. He knows what ‘elite’ looks like.

But he also knows he wouldn’t be a bench-warming scrub if he were eligible to play in the NBA today. The No. 1 overall prospect would compete.

“I mean, I’d be productive,” Dybantsa told KSR. “I wouldn’t be a star player, but I wouldn’t just be a 13th man off the bench. I think I’d be in the rotation and be productive.”

Hall of Fame dreams

He may not be there yet, but he knows he can get there eventually. His dreams are vivid and consistent, the prize his eyes are on being greater than No. 1 status as a recruit or even being the No. 1 draft pick out of college.

Dybantsa is not only dreaming bigger but rather the biggest.

“(I want to be) a Hall of Famer,” he said. “(To do that, I’ve got to) just keep doing what I’m doing, but at a better rate every time. Every year I’ve got to improve from the last.”

He wants to be the player young kids see as a role model and model their games after in their own basketball journeys. The way he takes bits and pieces from today’s stars, he wants to be that for the next generation.

“It’s good. I want to be a good influence for the kids because kids want to be like their role models,” Dybantsa added. “I just have to be a good influence and just be me. It’ll be fun seeing the next generation of long, athletic wings trying to model their games after me. That’ll be really cool.”

What’s it like coaching Dybantsa? “He’s one of one.”

What’s it like witnessing greatness up close? Ask Cameron Quick of the Oakland Soldiers, who coached Dybantsa in his final season of AAU basketball this spring and summer.

To put it simply, there is no one like the Brockton, MA native.

“He’s one of a kind, he’s one of one,” he told KSR. “He listens — he gets that from his dad. He’s a great player who can do it all on the floor. It was an honor and pleasure for him to wear that Soldier uniform, him playing with us.”

How do you coach a player like Dybantsa at this stage, knowing you’re just a brief chapter in what could be an all-time story? You understand the magnitude of what you’re dealing with and let the top-ranked high school talent in the world do his thing.

“AJ was good before he got here and he’s gonna be good when he leaves,” Quick added. “Our job was to just help with the little things we could to help fine-tune his game and be a part of his process. He’s great, man. He’s a great kid.”