BYU star AJ Dybantsa continued his good run of form as the unranked Cougars succumbed to a devastating 90-68 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road on Tuesday evening. Despite the Cougars suffering their fourth loss in the last five games, Dybantsa managed 23 points, six rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes of action.
AJ Dybantsa Addresses Load Management Controversy
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Deseret Voices” podcast, Dybantsa revealed why he barely misses any game time when he was asked why he does not take part in the load management fad that has hit college basketball.
“I mean, if I could play every game 40 minutes, I would,” Dybantsa said. “Coach just decides to take me out if I’m too tired. I train enough and I think I’m in shape enough and Michael Davie, our strength coach, does a good job of keeping us in shape. So, if I’m in shape, I’ll play.”
Kansas star Darryn Peterson has stolen the headlines this year due to his erratic availability for the Jayhawks, which has seen him pull out of games late in the second half with cramping issues and even going as far as substituting himself from a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys last month.
Dybantsa Makes Huge Claim About Draft Future
Dybantsa has long been tabbed as one of the favorites to be picked No. 1 overall during the 2026 NBA Draft, alongside Jayhawks’ Peterson and Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer.
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Deseret Voices” podcast, Dybantsa made a startling claim about departing college basketball for the NBA via the draft.
“Well, I might not leave,” Dybantsa said. “My mom wants me to graduate. Yeah, so I might not leave. But I might leave. Like, I don’t know. The fans might get into my head talking about one more year, maybe three more years, I don’t know. But I’m going to have to talk to my mom.
“I haven’t chosen yet, but I’ll probably do financial management. My mom is thinking about post-basketball, and God forbid if anything happens to me, I should always have a backup plan. People can assume whatever they want. I’m not saying anything. My mom’s a big part of it, and the fan base too. The fan base and the people treat me well here.”
Dybantsa leads the scoring charts in college basketball and is averaging 24.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting 53% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the arc for the Cougars this season.
