Before arriving at BYU, AJ Dybantsa admittedly didn’t know much about the school’s fierce rivalry with the University of Utah.
But fans in the Beehive State and beyond won’t be forgetting about Dybantsa’s Saturday performance anytime soon — if ever — as the freshman phenom forcefully entered rivalry lore by pouring in a career-high 43 points against the Runnin’ Utes.
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“I (didn’t) know too much about the rivalry. Like, I’m from Boston, but people were just dragging it the whole time, talking about Utah this, Utah that, so I was like, ‘I guess I’ll go off for y’all,’” Dybantsa said, drawing laughs from those gathered around him postgame in the media room.
Dybantsa earned his 43 points on 15 of 24 shooting from the field, repeatedly outmaneuvering Utah’s attempts to double-team him.
Additionally, he hit 4 of 5 3-pointers — a new personal best — and 9 of 10 shots from the foul line, also adding six rebounds, three assists and a block to his superb stat line.
“That was impressive. In my mind I was thinking, ‘Man, this is a special player,’” BYU head coach Kevin Young said.
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“I’ve said it a lot, I think he is the clear cut No. 1 pick in the NBA draft coming up. It was on full display tonight. He was doing it every which way.”
While Dybantsa did score 19 points in the first half, it wasn’t until after halftime that he realized exactly what he was doing.
“When I hit like 26, Rob (Wright III) and Tyler (Mrus) were like, ‘Keep being aggressive,’ but then Tyler said, ‘You better get 40,’” Dybantsa said.
“I looked up at the scoreboard, and I was like, ‘I might be able to get it.’ Then I kept going off and making shots. … I just thank my teammates for just giving me the ball in the right spots, and God was on my side. I was hitting shots.”
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Dybantsa’s 43 points — the most at BYU since Chase Fischer’s 41 in 2015 — broke the program’s single-game freshman scoring record of 36 points that was previously set by Danny Ainge in 1977.
But Ainge, in any of his four years as a Cougar, never scored 43 points in a game.
In fact, there have only been seven better scoring performances in BYU history than that of Dybantsa on Saturday, with four coming from Jimmer Fredette alone.
“It feels good to break any record, even if it was Danny’s or not,” Dybantsa said.
For Young, the most impressive aspect of Dybantsa’s day was his response to a season-worst 13 points and loss at Texas Tech the week before.
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“He was coming off his worst performance of the year. He wasn’t good at Texas Tech, and he came out tonight unfazed and clearly wanted to just go out and dominate,” Young said.
Utah’s own head coach with NBA experience, Alex Jensen, made sure to give Dybantsa his flowers as well.
“He’s a generational talent, and he showed what he’s capable of tonight,” Jensen said. “There’s no telling how good he could get. … Great player, and he can do a lot of things. Sky’s the limit.”
Dybantsa wasn’t the only freshman in the country to go crazy on Saturday. Fellow Big 12er Kingston Flemings posted 42 points for Houston in a close loss at Texas Tech, while Keaton Wagler of Illinois exploded for 46 points in an upset at No. 4 Purdue.
“We were actually watching (Texas) Tech vs. Houston (before playing Utah), so I saw Kingston when he hit that 42 mark,” Dybantsa said. “I was like, these freshmen are going crazy.
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“We have a crazy class, I think one of the best in recent years. It feels good. I’ve been playing against these guys since I was 15, so I’ve seen these guys grow, and it’s amazing to be a part of it.”
Immediately following the win over Utah will be BYU’s toughest test yet — hosting No. 1-ranked, 20-0 Arizona Monday night in the most highly-anticipated Marriott Center matchup since Fredette faced off with Kawhi Leonard and San Diego State in 2011.
But Dybantsa is ready to rock.
“It’s going to be a tough game, but that’s what you live for,” Dybantsa said. “This is why I came to the Big 12, to play teams like this.
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“… We’re looking to hand (Arizona) their first loss. The Marriott Center is going to be behind us and we’ll be prepared for them.”
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) shouts after dunking the ball against Utah during an NCAA basketball game held at the Marriott Center in Provo on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
