BYU’s AJ Dybantsa Staying in Race to be No. 1 Pick

The 2026 NBA Draft class was one of the more highly anticipated in some time, and they’ve more than lived up to the hype through a handful of games.

While numerous true freshmen and returnees have stood out through the early part of the college basketball season, they continue to be led by the top trio of Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa.

All three were thought of to be No. 1-level prospects coming into the season, and while Peterson hasn’t played much due to a hamstring injury, they’ve all shown that to be true.

Peterson was most experts choice to be the No. 1 pick, and Boozer has and will continue to be statistically dominant in his time with Duke. Dybantsa seemed somewhat of an odd man out among the trio, but he’s done just enough to keep his name in No. 1 conversations so far with stellar play.

At 6-foot-9, Dybantsa’s case to be the top pick lies more with the eye test than anything, as his combination of athleticism and flexibility jumps out with every watch. He has impeccable first step and burst for a wing of his size, and has plenty of vertical pop to add to his touch around the rim.

He’s been statistically great too — averaging 19.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 52% overall and 37% from three — but that alone won’t be enough to hear his name called first on draft night. Most recently, he scored 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting against Dayton, adding four rebounds and three assists.

AJ Dybantsa vs Dayton..

18 PTS (7-12 FG, 1-1 3PT, 3-4 FTs)
4 REBS
3 AST

BYU won… pic.twitter.com/fUv5xhRAxi
— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) November 29, 2025

Dybantsa's downhill scoring has been the selling point so far. Few players his size are able to amass paint touches the way he has. And he projects to be able to shoot both from three and in the mid-range long-term, making him a potent three-level scoring bet.

In order to oust Peterson and Boozer though, he'll have to show improvement in lesser areas, which hasn't happened just yet. Despite his size and athleticism, he's left some to be desired on the defensive end thus far, averaging just 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks with plenty of room for more effort. He's also yet to truly leverage his scoring gravity into high-level play-making at just 2.3 assists to 2.1 turnovers.

With the allure of Peterson's all-around game at the guard position, as well as Boozer's continued dominance as a high-feel forward, Dybantsa is likely to have an uphill battle to be No. 1. Though his production and ceiling are un-ignorable so far, and he's done enough to keep himself close.