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UNC Basketball Recruiting: No. 1 Prep Checks Out Big 12 Suitor

The UNC basketball coaches will get their chance to shine in the AJ Dybantsa sweepstakes in just a few weeks.

Matt Giles

UNC basketball recruiting target AJ Dybantsa
UNC basketball recruiting target AJ Dybantsa / Jason Snow / The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK
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In the heating-up battle for Utah Prep forward and prime UNC basketball recruiting target AJ Dybantsa, who ranks No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite, Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang appears to have benefited a bit from the fact that his last name makes Dybantsa's father think of hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan.

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"First off, I like the name," Ace Dybantsa previously explained to ZAGSBLOG before he and his family toured Kansas State this weekend, marking AJ Dybantsa's first senior-year official visit. "I'm a big Wu-Tang fan. He just told me AJ is going to play freely and have a good team around him. And I kind of like what he was saying. So, we're going to give them a look."

As shown in the picture below, which Adam Zagoria posted courtesy of AJ Dybantsa's father, Ace Dybantsa even sported a purple Wu-Tang shirt while the Wildcats' highly anticipated visitor was on the field ahead of the Kansas State football team's 41-6 win over UT Martin on Saturday.

The 6-foot-9, 200-pound sensation, looking to wait until February to end his recruitment, is down to a top seven of UNC, Kansas State, BYU, Baylor, Alabama, Auburn, and Kansas.

He's scheduled five more official visits across the next six weeks, including a trip to Chapel Hill to check out the UNC basketball program on Sept. 20-22.

For now, no insiders have entered a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction for the AJ Dybantsa race. Presumably, all seven finalists remain in play.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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