BYU basketball is becoming something of a hub for blue-chip freshmen in recent seasons. Take last season, for example, where 5-star international prospect Egor Demin took a chance on Kevin Young's program and wound up being selected eighth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Kanon Catchings, a talented 4-star wing, also burned his first year of college hoops in Provo (to varying results).
The Cougars are targeting the best and brightest from around the nation. Tennessee's Nate Ament and Arizona's Brayden Burries likewise entertained offers from the Cougars before moving in a different direction. Now this season, Brigham Young University is hosting potentially the best freshman -- if not the best player full-stop -- in the country in 6-foot-9 forward AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa is a bucket-getting barbarian. Untethered by the likes of convention and routine, every jumper, every pass, every dribble move, and every step is his own -- taking inspiration for what it is and blazing a trail all his own. His style of play is distinct, singular, and it's carried BYU as one of the strongest teams in the nation to this point of the year, currently ranked 10th in the AP Poll with a record of 10-1.
You can find Dybantsa's name near the top of every NBA mock draft, draft board, and wish list of every NBA GM. To claim AJ is to claim the future.
But according to ESPN, there is still one Freshman who has outshone Dybantsa to this point of the year: Cameron Boozer. BYU fans and Utah natives should be very familiar with this namesake, Boozer's father, Carlos, being a former star and current scout with the Utah Jazz. Cameron, whose twin brother Cayden was likewise a McDonald's All-American and member of the Duke Blue Devils' roster, has shot up draft boards, often tangling with AJ over the top spot along with Kansas' Darryn Peterson (who has been injured for most of the year).
"Boozer continues to be the clear-cut favorite for Freshman of the Year and National Player of the Year," declared Jeff Borzelo on Duke's diaper dandy. "Producing at an incredibly high level against one of the toughest schedules in the country. [...] Entering the week, he led the country in scoring at 23.0 points per game and was in the top 20 of rebounds at 9.9 per game"
But BYU's Dybantsa lurked just behind the frontrunner, with his breakout second half against Clemson being cited as one of the most impressive performances of the year to this point.
"Dybantsa took control in the second half [vs. Clemson], showcasing the talent that has him in the race for the No.1 pick by scoring or assisting on 34 of their 45 second-half points, according to ESPN Research. No player has put together a second-half stretch better than what we witnessed from the freshman sensation in a come-from-behind win over the Tigers."
Has it been a perfect season so far for AJ? Not quite. Impressive as he's been, he and his team have proven to be susceptible to frequent lulls in offensive production. It took the Cougars nearly six minutes of game time to surpass six points on the scoreboard against Pacific. Though that was a game the Cougars would win comfortably, slow starts have been a commonality with many of BYU's results in the non-conference schedule.
He'll need to prove capable of elevating the team, even without help from his teammates. It's a tall bar to clear, but if he plans to make a case for the number one pick next Summer, Dybantsa will need to prove his worth against (comparatively) lesser competition.
The season is young, and the Big 12 gauntlet is the crucible within which legends are crafted. Dybantsa is on the right path, and will continue to tangle with Boozer and Peterson for the freshman crown.