A.J. Dybantsa's Father Says Kansas State On Equal Ground To Land No. 1 Recruit

Anthony Pasciolla | Aug 24, 2024

Team Oak Soldier’s AJ Dybantsa (3) dunks the ball against Team Thad during the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League session one on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the Memphis Sports & Event Center in Memphis, Tenn. / Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas State Wildcats are among the finalists for No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, A.J. Dybantsa, but are paired against steep competition.

Dybantsa narrowed down his list of schools to the Wildcats, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, and North Carolina in early August. The five-star forward's father, Anicet Dybantsa Sr., emphasized that all seven schools are on an equal playing field, despite their varying levels of established basketball talent.

"Speaking with AJ's father, he made it pretty clear that he's entering this process open to everyone and that everyone has a clean slate and equal footing," 247Sports' Eric Bossi said during a recent appearance on the 247Sports College Basketball Show. "Now, I know everyone rolls their eyes when they hear that. But again, we're talking straight from the horse's mouth here. So, we have to kind of take Dad at his word on this."

It's anticipated Dybantsa will wait until early 2025 to announce his decision.

Dybantsa will visit the Wildcats the weekend of Aug. 30, the same time as the football team opens the season against UT-Martin. The news was first reported by ESPN's Paul Biancardi.

The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa, who averaged 22.6 points during the Elite Youth Basketball League, joins Darryn Peterson (No. 3 in 2025) and four-star wing Cam Ward as recent top-tier recruits to have interest in the Wildcats.