No. 1 Recruit AJ Dybansta Commits to BYU Basketball

Casey Lundquist | Dec 10, 2024

BYU head coach Kevin Young / BYU Photo

On Tuesday, the nation's top basketball prospect committed to Kevin Young and the BYU basketball program. AJ Dybansta, a consensus five-star recruit and the projected no. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, committed to BYU over fellow finalists North Carolina, Kansas, and Alabama.

Dybansta has been a BYU target ever since Young arrived on campus in Provo. The reality of Dybansta playing his college basketball in Provo became more and more likely as the transfer cycle progressed. What seemed like a longshot at the beginning became a legitimate possibility as Dybansta narrowed down his list of finalists.

Months of recruiting paid off on Tuesday when Dybansta committed to the Cougars on ESPN's First Take, hosted by Stephen A. Smith.

Dybansta's commitment is unprecedented for the BYU basketball program. The Cougars have signed highly-touted recruits in the past like Shawn Bradley. However, unlike Bradley, Dybansta is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Dybansta is coming to BYU to be prepared for the NBA. Dybansta has been compared to NBA stars like Paul George.

Kevin Young had a vision of turning BYU into place where future NBA prospects could come and develop. In just seven months, he has turned that vision into reality. Current BYU freshmen Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings have the potential to be first-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.

He won't be in Provo for more than a year, but he has the potential to make the 2025-2026 BYU basketball season one of the most memorable in program history.