Kentucky Re-Offers Top-Ranked UNC Basketball Recruiting Target

UNC basketball has heavy competition in the AJ Dybantsa sweepstakes.

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis / Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

UNC basketball has been in the hunt for Prolific Prep (Calif.) forward AJ Dybantsa since October, extending an offer less than two weeks after the 6-foot-9, 200-pound five-star announced his reclassification from 2026 to 2025. Fellow blueblood Kentucky followed suit with an offer of its own a few weeks later.

ALSO READ: Three UNC Recruiters Check Out Promising Wing From Durham

But that offer was from John Calipari, who has since moved on to Arkansas.

As of this past weekend, though, it appears the Wildcats are back on the prowl for Dybantsa, No. 1 on the 247Sports 2025 Composite. New Kentucky head coach Mark Pope showed up to watch the phenom play at Nike EYBL Session 3 in Indiana and talked to both him and his father on the phone shortly thereafter, On3's Jack Pilgrim reported. Pope re-offered AJ Dybantsa during their chat.

Nike EYBL Session III: 1st Team 🥇

AJ Dybantsa | Oakland Soldiers | 2025

Statistics ➡️ 22.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG

Full Awards ⤵️https://t.co/oDbAF8Xjs1 @ADybantsa @Soldiers_Salute @NikeEYB @SynergySST pic.twitter.com/BrQSDNve02

— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) May 20, 2024

Now, Dybantsa is eyeing a list cut in a couple of months before visiting a handful of colleges in the fall.

"I'm open to every school," he told Pilgrim. "I'll probably narrow it down right after Peach Jam (in mid-July), then I'll take my visits."

Although Dybantsa hasn't decided where all he'll visit, he recently noted tentative plans to be on Tobacco Road, albeit with the intention of checking out one of his newest suitors in UNC basketball's archrival, Duke. Perhaps the Tar Heels will snag a visit just before or after his probable trip to Durham.

AJ Dybantsa, one of nine five-stars on UNC's 2025 wishlist, has yet to reveal a timeline for his decision.

Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI for more UNC basketball recruiting news.