No athlete in the history of BYU sports came to Provo with higher expectations than AJ Dybantsa.
And somehow, the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2025 not only met those lofty expectations, he soared past them, reaching heights no freshman in program history has ever achieved.
As we look back on BYU's 2025-26 season, it's time to give some final grades for BYU's key players. When it comes to AJ Dybantsa's performance this past year, let's review his stat line and what he achieved, and then compare this performance to what was expected of him before the season tipped off.
AJ Dybantsa's statistical overview
Before evaluating how AJ performed relative to expectations, here are his raw, out-of-context stats this past season:
Stats: 35 Gs, 34.8 MPG, 25.5 PTS, 6.8 REB, 3.7 AST, 1.1 STL
Shooting: 51.0% FG, 33.1% 3PT, 77.4% FT
Dybantsa's stats are simply jaw-dropping. He led the nation in scoring and did so on incredibly efficient shooting while being the focus of every opposing defensive game plan and being surrounded by inconsistent shooters.
His best games included his dominance of rival Utah to the tune of a career-high 43 points on 15-of-24 shooting with six rebounds and three assists. In the nonconference slate he dropped a 33 point, 10 rebound, 10 assist triple double against Eastern Washington.
He was electric in the postseason as well. In a win over Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, he went for 40 points on a ridiculous 15-of-21 field goals with nine boards, six assists, and three steals. He followed that up with 27 in a second-round victory over West Virginia and 26 in a loss to No. 5 Houston.
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a demoralizing loss to No. 11 seed Texas, Dybantsa scored 35 on a below-average 11-of-25 shooting with five turnovers as the Longhorns made him the sole focus of their defensive schemes.
He was voted First Team All-American, All-Big 12 First Team, and was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
Grading AJ Dybantsa's season relative to expectations
Expectations couldn't have been higher for AJ Dybantsa's freshman season at BYU, and even then he surpassed them. What's so impressive about AJ's legendary season is that all of the individual accolades he received came while he made his team better. He led the nation in scoring, yet he wasn't selfish and usually let the game come to him. He was a willing, effective passer who averaged nearly four assists per game as a 6-foot-9 wing. Despite the mammoth amounts of energy he had to expend on offense -- especially after Richie Saunders was lost for the year -- he was still an engaged defender and willing rebounder.
In short, AJ Dybantsa's individual excellence elevated the team around him.
He also exceeded expectations off the court. AJ's season in Provo is another validation of two important principles for NBA-caliber recruits that will impact BYU for decades to come:
1. Kevin Young will prepare you for the NBA.
2. Every player can love their BYU experience, provided they're committed to living the Honor Code.
After AJ's outstanding season under Kevin Young's tutelage, many NBA mock drafts now have him as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Dybantsa's professional development follows that of Egor Demin, a one-and-done player and the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, validating to 5-star talents everywhere that Provo is a legitimate NBA factory.
When it comes to his experience as a Catholic from Massachusetts with no ties to BYU or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dybantsa has also shown top prospects they can be "happy" in Provo. AJ used that word -- happy -- a couple of times in his postgame press conference after the team's loss in the NCAA Tournament: "I love this place. I'm happy I chose [BYU]. I definitely made the right decision. I knew coming in, I made the right decision [...] everything about this place, I'm just happy."
While AJ Dybantsa's season came to an end earlier than BYU fans had hoped, his impact on attracting talent to Provo and elevating BYU's brand will be felt for the next 15 years of his upcoming NBA career, and potentially beyond that. He was a generational talent who made a generational impact.
BYU fans were expecting the moon from AJ Dybantsa. He delivered the universe.