BYU’s AJ Dybantsa beats out NBA legacy, tops ESPN’s list of newcomers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In a season defined by elite freshmen across the country, BYU star AJ Dybantsa has managed to emerge as college basketball’s top newcomer and a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, according to ESPN.
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Through two weeks of the 2025-26 campaign, the 6-foot-8 forward has lived up to the hype that made him the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class.
Dybantsa arrived in Provo with NBA expectations. Early returns suggest the Cougars landed a generational talent. He is averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 57.4% from the field and 40% from 3-point range, numbers that place him at the top of a loaded freshman leaderboard. His biggest performance came in a nationally televised matchup against UConn on Nov. 15, when he scored 25 points and nearly sparked a furious comeback from a 20-point deficit.
College basketball’s landscape has shifted in recent years, with more elite prospects choosing NCAA programs over overseas leagues and developmental alternatives. Dybantsa sits at the center of that movement, giving BYU a marquee star as the sport reclaims the nation’s top young talent.
While the freshman class features household names like Duke’s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Dybantsa has separated himself.
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He took over down the stretch in BYU’s opener against Villanova, delivered steady production against Holy Cross and Delaware and looked every bit a future NBA centerpiece in the battle with UConn.
The freshman race is expected to shift throughout the season, but Dybantsa’s early results places him ahead of the pack. For now, BYU has the face of college basketball’s new era.
