The BYU Cougars might be without Richie Saunders for the rest of the season, but they still have AJ Dybantsa. Dybantsa is a human highlight reel and is a must-watch basketball player every single time he steps on the court.
Tonight was no different as his masterclass led the Cougars to a win over Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament.
AJ Dybantsa Enters the History Books With Blockbuster Performance Against Kansas State
Dybantsa is one of the top players in college basketball and will be a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He asserted dominance over Kansas State and set a Big 12 Tournament record for most points by a freshman with 40 points. He’s in good company, too, because the previous record was 37 points by the legendary Kevin Durant.
AJ Dybantsa checks out of the game with a Big 12 freshman tournament-record 40 points – breaking @KDTrey5 record of 37.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 11, 2026
Dybantsa has etched his name in the history books plenty of times with his elite play this season. Tonight was just another example of his dominance throughout the year. He is averaging 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists through 31 games. He is the NCAA’s leading scorer by over a full point and showed why tonight with a record-breaking performance.
The Cougars are going to be a tough team to beat when Dybantsa is playing at this level. On top of dropping 40 points, he added 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals as BYU pulled away from Kansas State in the second half. The Cougars miss Saunders, but Dybantsa and Robert Wright III can sink just about any team themselves with their scoring outbursts.
The Cougars are going to need to run through a gauntlet for a Big 12 title. They passed their first test thanks to the Dybantsa masterclass. It was efficient from Dybantsa tonight, as well, draining 15 of his 21 shots.
BYU will have no time to celebrate this win as West Virginia awaits them in the next round. West Virginia is a tough squad led by guard Honor Huff, and it will give the Cougars some problems.
But the Mountaineers have no one on the level of Dybantsa, and if he can build off his record performance, the Cougars could pull off the upset.
The Cougars aren’t highly seeded in the Big 12 Tournament, but are squarely in the March Madness field. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Cougars sit on the No. 6 seed line, but could see themselves jump up a seed line with a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament.
March is upon us, and the best players have to show the world what they can do. Dybantsa is doing whatever he can to will this team to wins and break records in the process.
