AJ Dybantsa is already collecting accolades before he even hits the court for his first regular-season game for the BYU basketball team.
The Brockton native was named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America team Monday, joining Purdue’s Braden Smith, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, and Flordia’s Alex Condon.
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He was also named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, but ceded Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year honors to Kansas’ Darryn Peterson. Dybantsa’s Cougars are ranked No. 8 in the country in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll.
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Dybantsa’s selection marks the second year in a row that a player from New England has made the team. Maine native and No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft Cooper Flagg (Duke) was a Preseason All-American in 2024. Flagg also became the fifth freshman in both men’s and women’s college basketball to be named Naismith College Player of the Year.
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The BYU freshman geared up for the fall this summer, when he won the U19 FIBA Wolrd Cup with Team USA in July.
AJ Dybantsa is all smiles as the audience guesses his favorite foods, and music during his 2nd annual backpack giveaway at West Middle School in Brockton on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.
On Saturday, Dybantsa got his first taste of collegiate action in a scrimmage vs. Nebraska. He scored 30 points, going 10-for-19 from the field, pacing BYU in minutes played with 32, despite coming off the bench in the 90-89 road loss.
Dybantsa is projected to land as a top-three selection in the 2026 NBA draft, and has been projected as the first overall pick in some early mock drafts. The 6-9 shooting guard/shooting forward was the top high school basketball recruit in 2025 and announced his commitment to BYU on ESPN’s First Take back on Dec. 10, 2024.
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When will AJ Dybantsa make his BYU debut?
Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars will make their regular-season debut against Villanova on Nov. 3 in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game will be broadcast on TNT with a tip time of 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, Dybantsa returns back to Massachusetts to face Preseason No. 4 UConn at the TD Garden, which will be broadcast live on FOX. Tip off for that game is set for 7 p.m. It’s the first of back-to-back games against AP Preseason ranked teams. BYU faces No. 24 Wisconsin at home on Friday Nov. 21 at 4 p.m.. The game will be streamed on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: When AJ Dybantsa will make his college basketball debut at BYU
