No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa cuts list to seven, does not include Kentucky

Kentucky will not be landing the No. 1 recruit in high school basketball, AJ Dybantsa — a generational talent out of Brockton, Massachusetts.

The five-star wing has cut his list to seven schools and will no longer consider UK. Instead, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina are the programs still in contention to land his commitment.

Dybantsa announced his finalists on Friday with ESPN.

“I’m looking to build a relationship with a head coach who doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but we can still have that bond both on and off the court,” he said. “[We can] talk about things on and off the court and play to my strengths while helping me with my weaknesses. The list is based on the coaches who spoke with my dad the most. I will decide in February.”

John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks were also cut from Dybantsa’s list after recruiting the No. 1 recruit dating back to his time at Kentucky.

Dybantsa previously told KSR he’d take his visits during football season in September and October with one to Lexington “potentially in the works this fall.” He said back then Mark Pope re-offered him a scholarship with a plan of “keeping it the same Kentucky as a top team.”

NIL has been a hot topic in Dybantsa’s recruitment, the five-star wing expected to come at an unprecedented cost for schools in pursuit — well into the seven-figure range, likely several million dollars. His father, however, says that will not be the final deciding factor in who lands his commitment.

“It’s a factor, but it’s not the reason we are picking a school,” Ace Dybantsa told ESPN. “We left out schools that have a lot of money. A.J. will go where he feels he can have the most success on the court.”

Instead, the following pillars will define his choice for a program, the five-star wing says.

“[It needs to be] family-oriented, a winning program, offer development both on the court and in their strength program, and for me to be one-and-done and ready to impact.”

For whatever reason, Kentucky was not deemed one of those potential programs. Instead, conference foes Alabama and Auburn remain as options, along with blue bloods Kansas and North Carolina, plus Mark Pope’s former school, BYU — widely known to be throwing serious cash around in recruiting circles.