BYU Cougars commit AJ Dybantsa just made a one-of-a-kind achievement in the current collegiate hoops offseason. On Sunday, July 6, it was announced that Dybantsa was named as the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup MVP after averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals throughout the tournament leading up to the championship game.
Dybantsa is preparing for his likely one-and-done year of collegiate hoops with the Cougars, as he is projected by many to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. With accomplishments like these, the Brockton, Massachusetts native is generating more hype around his name and draft stock.
⭐️ MVP AJ ⭐️@AJ_Dybantsa is the 2025 #FIBAU19 World Cup Most Valuable Player!
🇺🇸 #USABMU19 pic.twitter.com/GnImMYYCAE
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 6, 2025
College basketball fans and spectators then rejoiced over Dybantsa’s accomplishment in international competition as he prepared for his first year of collegiate hoops.
“Atta kid!!,” one fan exclaimed.
“Big congrats! No one deserves it more than you @AJ_Dybantsa,” another fan said with a heart emoji.
“Congrats, AJ, on a well played tourney. Looking forward to cheering you on in Coug town,” a fan wrote.
For several users on X, however, the MVP nod should’ve gone to his Team USA teammate, Mikel Brown Jr., instead.
“Joke lol,” one user posted.
“Damn, Mikel Brown Jr. got snubbed hard,” another user shared with a couple of sad emojis.
“Lol, Mikel Brown led in every single category. Who makes this decision?,” another questioned.
“Mikel and AJ could’ve been Co-MVPs,” a user claimed.
Nevertheless, Dybantsa’s achievement serves as a testament to the immense potential he has as an incoming high school star in college basketball. Per ESPN, Dybantsa is currently ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the high school class of 2025 among all five-star prospects, capping off his stellar career in his secondary studies at Utah Prep this past 2024-25 season.
AJ Dybantsa And The Rest Of Team USA Won The 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup Championship
and NEW #FIBAU19 CHAMPIONS 🏆 is your 🇺🇸 #USABMU19 pic.twitter.com/O2KTHqQ4he
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 6, 2025
For his efforts in becoming the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup MVP, AJ Dybantsa spearheaded Team USA to the championship with a 33-point win, 109-76, against Switzerland on Sunday, July 6. In the victory, Dybantsa posted 11 points on 4-out-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in exactly 19 minutes of action. This follows Dybantsa also winning the FIBA U17 World Cup title with Team USA back in 2023.
Dybantsa now heads back into his preparations for the 2025-26 college basketball season with coach Kevin Young’s BYU Cougars, who finished last year with an overall record of 26-10 (14-6, Big 12) and made it all the way to the Sweet 16 of this year’s NCAA tournament.
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