BYU phenom AJ Dybantsa erupted for 43 points in the No. 13 Cougars’ 91-78 rivalry win over the Utah Utes on Saturday to bounce back from last week’s loss to the No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Dybantsa broke the Cougars’ freshman scoring record previously held by Danny Ainge, while adding six rebounds and three assists.
Dybantsa’s explosion followed a pattern that included three freshmen dazzling and dropping 40+ points on the same weekend as Houston’s Kingston Flemings dropped 42 points and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler managed 46 points.
Ex-Pro Makes AJ Dybantsa vs. Cooper Flagg Statement
After Dybantsa’s career night at Marriott Center, ex-NBA guard Rashad McCants hyped his talent on X, with a jab aimed at Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.
“This is wayyyyyy different than the rest of the guys in college. I see why Cooper reclassed lol,” McCants tweeted.
In August 2023, Flagg reclassified from the class of 2025 to the class of 2024, after which he dominated college basketball with the Duke Blue Devils before being selected No. 1 overall by the Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
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ESPN Analysts Break Down Dybantsa’s Draft Profile
During last week’s segment of the “All The Smoke” podcast, ESPN analysts Seth Greenberg and Jay Bilas compared Dybantsa to an NBA great and pinpointed an aspect that could elevate him to the top of the competitive 2026 NBA Draft class.
“Yeah, Tracy McGrady is the one that kind of resonates with me. You know, you see that stride and his ability to get in the lane and elevate… His physical stature and his strength that he plays with when he goes to the rim, his passing, he could be an incredible defender,” Greenberg said.
“I think there’s a great argument for Dybantsa being the number one pick, even though [Kansas’ Darryn] Peterson, I think, is the more fluid scorer. Dybantsa is bigger, longer and can play in isolation… His mid-range game is spectacular and he’s really doing a better job of attacking the basket,” Bilas said.
Competing with Dybantsa for the number one pick in the draft class of 2026 include Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson and Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer, who are both having stellar seasons for their respective teams.
Dybantsa will get a chance to face off against some of the best teams in college basketball when the Cougars host the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats on Monday, before going head-to-head against Peterson’s No. 19 Kansas on Saturday in a battle for supremacy of the class of 2026.
