AJ Dybantsa posts emotional message to Kevin Durant and fans after making Big 12 history

All eyes will be looking at AJ Dybantsa on Thursday night. The AP All-American freshman had an historic run in the Big 12 tournament last weekend. He opened the tournament by posting his second 40-point game of the season and when the smoke cleared, Dybantsa scored 93 points over three games, besting Kevin Durant's scoring record of 92 points during the 2007 tournament.

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Dybantsa is preparing for a deep tournament run and any fan of college basketball would want to see the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft as many times as possible on the tournament stage. And if last week is any indication, Dybantsa is going to give us something to remember. 

"This week was special. The Big 12 Tournament is something I’ll never forget. Across three games, I finished with 93 total points and broke the Big 12 Tournament scoring record that Kevin Durant held. KD was a big inspiration of mine, so just being mentioned alongside a name like that is surreal," Dybantsa's caption read.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Dybantsa followed up breaking KD's record by sending the Texas program he played for home early?

AJ Dybantsa made history this year in the Big 12 tournament

Dybantsa led the nation in scoring with 25.3 points per game, but that only tells half the story. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and nearly four assists per game. When the Cougars lost senior Richie Saunders to a torn ACL last month, Dybantsa had to assume an even greater role on offense and in the nine games since Saunders went down, his points-per-game average jumped to 27.8.

Even Stephen A. Smith took a few minutes to stop screaming at the air last week to give Dybantsa his props. 

"[Dybantsa] is my guy. That's my number one pick. I'm just putting it on front street right now. To me, it's not a debate. I'm not going with anyone before Dybantsa because you can't teach 6-8, 6-9 with his skill level. You see the athleticism is there, and the durability is there, and he don't fade from the spotlight."

Now he'll be on the big stage of the NCAA tournament for the first, and likely only, time in what we hope is a long, fruitful career. Let's enjoy it while it lasts.