BYU Cougars star freshman AJ Dybantsa couldn’t stop the ill fate of the program. Despite his 35-point effort, the Cougars lost the game 79-71 in a stunning upset against No. 11 Texas in the West region. After beating NC State in the NCAA Tournament First Four, the Texas Longhorns faced the Cougars.
Despite being a higher seed, BYU didn’t receive enough contributions apart from Dybantsa, resulting in an upset loss.
In the loss, Dybantsa played 40 minutes to score 35 points on 11-25 shooting, including 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. He made all 12 free throws attempted. Moreover, he also grabbed 10 rebounds and made one assist against five turnovers. Only guard Robert Wright III was in double digits for BYU as he scored 14 points.
The biggest difference in the game between both teams was 3-point shooting. The Cougars get going from behind the arc, converting only 18.2% of 22 3-point shots attempted. On the other hand, Texas shot a respectable 36.4% from the 3-point line. The Texas outdueled BYU in assists, blocks, and points in the paint.
With the first round exit, Dybantsa will now think about whether to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft or to stay back in college for the sophomore year.
AJ Dybantsa Reveals Final Decision Maker for NBA Draft
AJ Dybantsa is considered a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA draft, should he declare. Alongside Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer, all three of these freshmen are expected to dominate the early part of the draft.
While it’s most probably the ideal scenario for Dybantsa to declare for the NBA and turn professional early, he revealed the final decision maker on the same will be his mother.
“Just talk to my family,” Dybantsa said. “My mom ultimately, she kind of is the big boss, she kind of makes the decisions in life. Just talk to her, see what she says and y’all will get an answer in the next couple of weeks.”
In the 2025-26 college basketball season, Dybantsa has averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 51% from the field, including 34% from the 3-point line. He is projected to go second overall in the NBA draft, per most mock draft boards
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