The No. 6 BYU Cougars were one of the more intriguing teams entering the NCAA Tournament — and for good reason. Despite dealing with a plethora of injuries, they also featured arguably the top prospect in the 2026 NBA draft class, AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa led the nation in scoring this season with 25.3 points per game, and in a heartbreaking first-round loss on Thursday night to the No. 11 Texas Longhorns, he left everything on the court. He finished with a game-high 35 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
Now, after a historic freshman season, his collegiate career — as most expect — appears to be over. He has already received a strong endorsement from former Auburn coach and current analyst Bruce Pearl, who spoke about Dybantsa during the postgame show following BYU’s loss.
“We were one of the first schools to have him on campus… I guarantee you that he would give up points and Player of the Year and all the other stats for a few more wins with BYU. That’s how this kid is built,” Pearl said.
“This is the kid I would take with the number one pick in the draft just because of the intangibles. Plus, the other thing you just can’t teach — that size and length.”
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ybantsa is firmly in contention for the No. 1 overall selection this summer, which comes as little surprise given the expectations surrounding him coming out of high school, even as his decision to commit to BYU drew scrutiny.
However, he has made it clear that his choice to attend BYU was centered on development — not money — despite speculation from fans.
“For me, my main goal is getting to the NBA. I chose BYU because they have the resources to develop me and get me ready,” Dybantsa said.
“I come from a great background. My parents always provided,” he added. “So for me, it wasn’t really about the money.”
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