BYU Basketball Makes the Top Seven for No. 1 Recruit AJ Dybansta

Dybansta is the top recruit in the country in the 2025 recruiting class

BYU head coach Kevin Young / BYU Photo

On Friday, no. 1 basketball prospect AJ Dybansta named his top seven schools and BYU made the cut alongside Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, and North Carolina. Dybansta told ESPN that he is planning on making his college decision sometime this Winter.

Recruiting News:
A.J. Dybantsa, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, has narrowed down his list of schools, telling ESPN he is considering Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina. Story: https://t.co/A0esu0CeW2 pic.twitter.com/3pP12y5oa1

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) August 2, 2024

The news comes a few weeks after BYU was named the "program to beat" for Dybansta's services by college basketball insider Gary Parrish. Parrish said as much on a podcasts with other insiders Matt Norlander and Adam Finkelstein. Their comments on Dybansta start at the 39 minute mark in this video. "I asked who is the team to beat? If I were asking you now for AJ Dybansta," Parrish said. "And immediately you know what the guy said? BYU."

Words can't describe what a commitment like that would mean for BYU basketball and BYU athletics in general. Dybansta is the consensus top overall recruit in the 2025 class and he is the projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is viewed as one of the best NBA prospects in the last decade.

There is still a long ways to go until Dybansta signs with his college of choice. Although it's early and anything can happen on the recruiting trail, BYU is legitimately in contention to land AJ Dybansta.

BYU has never been able to reach recruiting territory like that, at least not with prospects that are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dybansta alone would make BYU basketball a national storyline during his lone season of college basketball.

It's easy to see why AJ is such a coveted prospect and the projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He has elite size and athleticism and he's skilled. He can handle the ball and create his own shot, and he can comfortably knock down jumpers.