We all thought he was joking. We all thought it was tongue-in-cheek. But when BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa shared that he might not leave college -- and by extension, BYU -- Dybantsa told no lies.
Reported this morning by April Fulstein of the JK Network, Dybantsa spoke out regarding his basketball career.
"People keep saying that I must've only come to BYU for the money," the consensus All-American freshman released. "Not the culture, not the coaching, not the facilities, and not even the Big 12 competition. I've been saying that it's all about KY [head coach Kevin Young], I told y'all over and over and over."
"But I can't keep up this charade any more," he admitted to Fulstein. "It was the money all along."
Dybantsa's exceptional blend of size, control, skill, and refined talent for his age put his name at the top of many NBA teams' draft boards. He's long been the prize of the draft; a player capable of taking over a game, and posessing a competitive drive unmatched by any of his peers at the collegiate level.
Perhaps it shouldn't be such a shock to learn that Dybantsa has unfinished business at BYU after a season that ended in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. With an incoming recruiting class that includes 5-star McDonald's All-American Bruce Branch III, the Cougars could dominate the Big 12 field on their way to BYU basketball's first Final Four appearance in history.
But even then, Dybantsa has no plans to forego his eligibility and enter the draft.
"The money is so good. It's so so good, you don't understand. And for that reason, I'm coming back in 2027, too. And 2028. And then I'm just going to stick around and keep playing for BYU as we win championship after championship well into my early 30s. Maybe then I'll give the NBA a try."
Dybantsa's April 1st pledge marks not just a new regime for BYU hoops, but a dynastic promise that suggests BYU basketball may now be an unstoppable force indefinitely.