BYU basketball is becoming a national power before our eyes, and the road likely doesn't end here for head coach Kevin Young and his staff.
After securing the commitment of AJ Dybantsa, the number-one recruit in the 2025 class and likely top selection in the subsequent NBA Draft, the Cougars are shredding a tsunami-sized wave of momentum hurling BYU into the forefront of college basketball.
With professional-caliber training staff, dieticians, facilities, and coaches, the mission of BYU basketball has rerouted drastically from being a middling mid-major program in the landscape of their sport, to an honest-to-goodness threat for national title contention.
The ride began with Egor Demin's commitment, who was at the time the highest-rated athlete in BYU basketball history. Demin, an NBA Draft lottery-level prospect, has already impressed most scouts with his visionary passing ability, ever-improving jump shot (more than a pressure release) and his fluidity with the ball, despite his excellent size at 6-foot-9.
Four-star recruit Kanon Catchings followed, and now BYU is highly likely to see two players drafted in the '25 Draft, a sum that Brigham Young University hadn't reached since the 1984 Draft when the participants drafted for a ludicrous ten rounds!
With the 2025 recruiting class bursting with talent for the Cougars, we're now left to wonder what's up next. Could AJ Dybantsa's voice of confidence in BYU inspire more elite talent to decide on Provo, Utah as their home for the next year?
It's not very far-fetched, and Dybantsa alluded to several players he's been in contact with since deciding on Kevin Young and his NBA factory at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains.
But who could those players be, and does BYU really have a chance to land more top-level talent?
2025 Recruits still considering BYU
Now let's get to the real reason you're here. No more lore. No more stories. A little speculation. A locomotive rocketing hype throughout the hills.
Brayden Burries | 5-Star Guard | 11th-rated Nationally
I've already gone in-depth about what makes Burries such a special prospect for BYU, but Burries' entire recruiting process has been mostly a mystery. He's taken visits to Oregon, Alabama, SMU, and Arizona in 2025, but hasn't indicated where his intentions may fall.
BYU is a real player in Burries recruiting, and AJ Dybantsa obviously helps the case for the Cougars. Assuming Demin goes one-and-done to the NBA, BYU needs a high-level point guard to steer the ship. Dallin Hall is great, but far from elite in any category of the game. Burries is a serious athlete and a major target for the Cougs.
Caleb Wilson | 5-Star Forward | 5th-rated Nationally
Caleb Wilson is the higher rated of these two players, but a bit more redundant with AJ Dybantsa already filling a forward slot with the Cougars. Obviously, these two players can coexist seamlessly in Provo to form a devastating frontcourt of Dybantsa, Staton, and Wilson. That's a championship-caliber trio.
Wilson has offers from all the top dogs in the sport, Duke, Kansas, you name it. His interest has clearly lied on the seven schools where he's taken official visits, and BYU isn't on that list. Sure, it's a long shot, but Dybantsa's arrival could slow Wilson's momentum just long enough for the Cougars to plead their case.
Kevin Young and his staff had already visited Wilson at home, and he was notably impressed by the Cougars' direction and the way they're constructing a basketball program.
"Coach Young is a former NBA coach and they also have a really good coaching staff and a great atmosphere around their sports," Caleb shared with 247 Sports, "With the location in Utah they talk to me about NIL and the chance to make good relationships with people that could help me during basketball but more importantly after basketball. So I really like BYU."
NIL is an important piece of this, as well. The game has changed, and after the Cougars' NIL collective shelled out such a large sum for AJ Dybantsa, we have to wonder how much more they could spend on basketball. BYU's pockets are deep, but everyone has their limit.
The recruiting process doesn't end with Dybantsa, and more could be on the horizon. Keep your eyes open, because landing a talent like AJ could change everything.