BYU's AJ Dybantsa Gave Confident Answer About His NBA Draft Stock After Career Night

He scored 22 points in the second half alone of BYU’s comeback win over Clemson.

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa believes he could be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa dominated in the Cougars’ comeback 67–64 win over Clemson, scoring 22 of his 28 points of the game in the second half alone. BYU came back to win after trailing by 21 at one point.

Dybantsa was the No. 1 prospect for the Class of 2025 and made a splash by signing with BYU. Despite the hype around Dybantsa before he started college ball, it’s quieted a bit as stars like Kansas’s Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer have entered the spotlight early in the season. Dybantsa has been slotted in as the No. 2 or 3 pick in many NBA mock drafts early in the college season.

The BYU freshman wants to let fans know, though, that he believes he should be the No. 1 pick in June.

“I’m going to play my game every night and then we’ll go see the deciding factor whenever the draft comes up,” Dybantsa told Field of 68’s Rob Dauster on Tuesday night. “I’mma bet on myself obviously to be the best player I can be. I’m going to bet on myself. If you ask me who I think is gonna be the No. 1 pick in the draft, I'm going to pick myself, but there are great players.”

Dybantsa has a few more months to continue proving himself on the college basketball stage. We’ll see where, and when, he’s picked at the 2026 NBA Draft.

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