AJ Dybantsa’s BYU Cougars had a good run this season. They went 23-12 overall, but couldn’t do well in the final stretch of the season. They lost to the Houston Cougars in the Big 12 Tournament and were eliminated early in March Madness.
The Cougars faced the Texas Longhorns in the first round and lost 71-79. Dybantsa tried his best to help his team advance to the next round with 35 points and 10 rebounds, but the rest of the team didn’t rally behind him.
Despite major back-to-back losses, Dybantsa is still regarded as one of the best players in the country. The March Madness first-round exit hasn’t had any effect on his draft stock. As per Evan Sidery, he is still on track to be the No. 1 draft pick potentially.
“Many scouts and executives now view AJ Dybantsa as the clear-cut No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. Dybantsa’s consistency has vaulted him above Darryn Peterson in league circles. For teams currently near the top of the lottery odds, Dybantsa is separating himself,” he wrote.
In his freshman season, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 51% from the field and 33.1% from the three-point line. The 6’9 forward is reportedly a heavy favorite among scouts and executives.
Until last month, Darryn Peterson was his biggest competition in the No. 1 draft pick race. Many scouts ranked Peterson above Dybantsa and he was slated to be the No. 2 pick. But a lot has changed in the last month.
Peterson received a lot of flak for not playing in games or only playing limited minutes to protect his draft stock. While he was being criticized, Dybantsa continued to put up good numbers on the board and has now seemingly taken the lead.
AJ Dybantsa Wants to Join the Spurs
Dybantsa has had a vision for his NBA career, and he has been very vocal about it. When he committed to the Cougars, he went on ESPN’s First Take and told Stephen A. Smith that joining the Spurs would be on top of his wish list.
When asked why he chose the Spurs over other great franchises, Dybantsa said that he wanted to play alongside Victor Wembanyama.
“How you think me and Wemby would play?” he told Stephen A. Smith. He has reiterated his wish to be Wemby’s teammate numerous times.
In January 2025, Dybantsa traveled to Paris for the NBA’s Global Games. After watching Wemby up close, he said that Wemby was “ridiculous” and that he would want to be his teammate in the future.
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