- ABC News
- December 10, 2024
A.J. Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing player who is the No. 1 prospect in high school basketball and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, announced his commitment to BYU on Tuesday morning. Dybantsa, who made his announcement on ESPN's "First Take," chose the Cougars over Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas. He becomes the first five-star recruit to commit to BYU since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007. "At BYU, the whole staff from the head coach on down came from the NBA," Dybantsa told ESPN. "Head coach Kevin Young coached my favorite player in KD ( Kevin Durant), and coached Devin Booker. Both had a lot of good things to say about him. We watched clips of both." BYU had positioned itself toward the top of Dybantsa's list shortly after Young, the Cougars' new head coach, took over last spring. Young flew to meet Dybantsa's parents during the NBA playoffs last spring when he was still on the Phoenix...