AJ Dybantsa Caps Trio of Freshmen to Achieve Scoring Feat Not Seen in Over 30 Years

The diaper dandies were out and about on Saturday.

A trio of college basketball freshmen—BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Houston’s Kingston Flemings and Illinois’s Keaton Wagner—each scored 40-plus points in memorable performances for their respective programs.

Dybantsa’s 43 points, Flemings’s 42 points and Wagner’s 46 points each set freshman scoring records for their programs, though Flemings’s prolific scoring effort came in a loss for his sixth-ranked Cougars.

Wagner powered the Fighting Illini to an upset of Purdue on the road while Dybantsa led the way for BYU in its victory over Utah in the Holy War.

The trio of standout performances by the first-year players on the same day was a collective college basketball feat not seen in over 30 years.

Dybantsa, Flemings and Wagner each scored 40-plus points for Associated Press Top 25-ranked teams, the first time this has happened on the same day since Feb. 10, 1990, according to ESPN. To find the only other time this occurred, you’d have to go back to Feb. 23, 1970.

Dybantsa reacts to being part of historic college basketball day

Dybantsa, while speaking to reporters after BYU’s win, was proud of his fellow freshmen, acknowledging that he was aware of Flemings’s performance before he took the court to author his own.

BYU freshman forward, AJ Dybantsa, says this freshman class is crazy after learning he was one of three to put up 40+ points in the same day. pic.twitter.com/qK8udWQWlr
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 25, 2026

“Yeah we were actually watching Tech vs. Houston,” Dybantsa said. “So I seen Kingston live. When he hit that 42 mark, I was like, ‘Yeah, these freshmen going crazy.’ I feel like we have a crazy class. I think we have one of the best classes in recent years.

“… It feels good. I’ve been playing against these guys since I was 15 starting at EYBL [Elite Youth Basketball League] and different camps. Nike Academies and Curry Camps and stuff like that. So I’ve done seen these guys grow and it’s just amazing to be a part of it.”

If Saturday was any indication, this won’t be the last time this talented trio leaves their mark on meaningful games.

More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.