BYU basketball has been launched to the forefront of college basketball, and that's thanks largely in part to AJ Dybantsa, the top recruit of the 2025 class and recent BYU commit.
Kevin Young's bunch will take on Villanova, one of the storied programs in college hoops, for their season opener, according to collegehoopstoday.net. After securing the services of the projected top pick in the '26 NBA Draft, BYU basketball is riding high on a wave of pro-level talent crashing over 600 miles inland onto the unsuspecting town of Provo, Utah.
Does anyone remember Dybantsa's ESPN interview with Stephen A. Smith immediately following his commitment on national television? When Smith interrogated the newest Cougar commit on his collegiate destination, he voiced his disappointment that AJ wouldn't be involved in the UNC-Duke rivalry after snubbing the Tar Heels.
AJ sharply resisted: "Why can't I play Duke at BYU?"
“Who said I can’t play Duke at BYU”
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) December 10, 2024
Legendary stuff from AJ Dybantsa 😭 pic.twitter.com/PPPv6BSwg8
AJ carved his name into the athletic department history books with that statement alone.
It's becoming increasingly likely that BYU basketball clashes with the blue bloods of the hooping sphere--not just conference rival Kansas--with the announcement of their season opener. While the Villanova of today doesn't boast the same luster of years past, every step toward national relevance is a huge positive for the trajectory of Kevin Young's dream.
BYU basketball is serious about its NBA preparation and wants recruits to understand that playing for BYU doesn't necessarily mean keeping your head down and avoiding the spotlight for a season. You can commit to BYU and take on the best teams in the nation every year--this is a serious program.
This basketball team is moving in a direction once understood to be impossible for BYU's standards. Spare from a handful of immensely talented church members, the Cougars' talent pool has been understandably limited for decades.
Shifting the perception of the honor code and tilting the foundational understanding of how athletes can represent Brigham Young University and its mission, the basketball program has firmly planted BYU at the forefront of college hoops.
BYU basketball is on an unprecedented level, and more good news is certainly on the way.