NBA Draft: AJ Dybantsa Sees Career Night for BYU

Much has been made about the 2026 NBA Draft’s big three, which is highlighted by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and BYU wing AJ Dybantsa.

Insane early-season output, in which the entire trio scored somewhere in the realm of 20 points per game, overshadowed the fact these players are far from finished products.

That’s especially been true for Dybantsa, who’s continuing to level up as Big 12 play nears.

Dybantsa has been an elite scorer all season long, though in Friday’s bout against Abilene Christian, he found a new gear.

Across 36 minutes, the potential top pick poured on a career-high 35 points, hitting an absurd nine of his 12 total shots. He was uncontainable in getting downhill, shooting 20 free throws and hitting 17 of them. He had an especially notable put-back near the end of the first-half, showing off his high-flying athleticism.

AJ DYBANTSA OH MY GOODNESS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/g8bQsKwsgt
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 20, 2025

Even more, Dybantsa continued to stuff the stat sheet in other ways, which has been a trend over the last few weeks. Against the Wildcats, he added six rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.

He failed to hit a 3-point on two tries, though that was the only real mar on his game.

Dybantsa’s been prolific at filling it up since he stepped on-court for the Cougars, though he’s still continuing to improve. In his last five games, he’s scored 26.8 points per game, largely doing so from inside the arc with just two 3-point makes.

Even more, he’s shown real improvement as both a passer and defender, garnering assists and stocks in his last handful of games. Scouts and NBA decision-makers will be especially keen to see growth in those areas, given how great a scorer he is.

The tenth-ranked Cougars are going to need Dybantsa at his best with Big 12 play coming up. The Cougars will run the gauntlet of the best conference in basketball, facing No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 1 Arizona, No. 17 Kansas, No. 8 Houston, No. 4 Iowa State and more in the coming months.

Dybantsa had seemed a step behind his peers in Peterson and Boozer weeks ago, though his recent stretch of improvement and offensive firepower has him right back in the mix as the potential No. 1 pick. The three are drastically different, though Dybantsa has claim to being the most athletic and offering the best physical tools.

The Cougars next take on Eastern Washington in their final non-conference game on Monday, Dec. 22.