BYU Superstar AJ Dybantsa Declares for NBA Draft

Dybantsa will enter the draft after leading the country in scoring at BYU

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) drives against Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

BYU true freshman superstar AJ Dybantsa has declared for the NBA Draft. Dybantsa was an AP First-Team All-American selection and put together the best freshman season in the history of BYU basketball. Dybantsa led the country in scoring at 25.5 points per game. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field.

Dybantsa goes into the draft as a lock to be a top three pick. He is currently the favorite to be the number one overall pick in June's NBA Draft.

Dybantsa is one of the headline prospects in a 2026 NBA Draft that is one of the most anticipated drafts in recent memory. NBA teams around the league have been tanking to have a chance to land one of the top players in the draft.

Dybantsa came into the season as a top two prospect nationally and he lived up to the hype. On a BYU team that was snake-bitten by injuries, Dybantsa shouldered the scoring load for a BYU team that earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

In BYU's first round loss to Texas, Dybantsa set a NCAA Tournament record for scoring by a freshman in the first round. Dybantsa finished with 35 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Texas would go on to beat 3-seed Gonzaga and advance to the Sweet 16.

Dybantsa also broke the Big 12 tournament scoring record in a three-game stretch against Kansas State, West Virginia, and Houston where he averaged 31 points per game. The record was previously held by Kevin Durant.

Dybantsa scored 40 points or more twice, including a record-breaking 43-point outing against rival Utah. He had seven games where he scored 35 points or more. Perhaps his best performance of the year came against a top 10 Iowa State team Dybantsa had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists while shooting 59% from the field. He played all 40 minutes in BYU's 79-69 win over Iowa State.

Dybantsa has the chance to be the first BYU player to be taken first overall in the NBA Draft. He will be the second lottery pick to be developed by Kevin Young in as many seasons. Last year, the Brooklyn Nets selected BYU star Egor Demin eighth overall.

Dybantsa will also be the first top five pick to come out of BYU since Shawn Bradley in 1993. He will be the sixth player in BYU history to be taken in the top 10 of the NBA Draft, joining Mel Hutchins, Shawn Bradley, Rafael Araujo, Jimmer Fredette, and Egor Demin.