AJ Dybantsa is set to start his college basketball career with the BYU Cougars after thriving at Utah Prep. The forward comes off a gold-medal win in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup with Team USA, and now his focus is on taking the Cougars as far as possible in the NCAA tournament.
Dybantsa is considered one of the best prospects in this year’s class, as he’s often placed as the No. 1 or No. 2 player amid comparisons with Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson, another talented player with a high ceiling.
A couple of months before the start of the season, many are wondering what Dybantsa could do after the 2025-26 season is over. The only certainty is that he will be an NBA player.
AJ Dybantsa predicted to join New York franchise in 2026
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman shared his latest NBA mock draft, in which Dybantsa isn’t a top-two player anymore. Instead, he is selected with the third overall pick behind Darry Peterson and Cameron Boozer, respectively.
“AJ Dybantsa will instantly give off NBA star vibes with his 6’9″ wing size, creativity, shotmaking and explosive finishing. Whether he can climb to No. 1 on boards will come down to his efficiency and decision-making, as he does have a tendency to force plays or develop tunnel vision. Still, aside from possibly the lottery-winner, teams aren’t going to nitpick Dybantsa, who possesses mismatch physical tools by NBA standards, wild athletic ability, handles/footwork to easily separate and high-level shooting skills from on and off the ball. He will be viewed as a prospect with a high likelihood to become a 25-point NBA scorer,” he said.
Dybantsa made it clear he wants to win the national championship with the BYU Cougars. After that, he will take on a new challenge against the best players in the world.