AJ Dybantsa was born and brought up in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Saint Sebastian’s High School before moving to Napa, California. By association, one would assume he’s a New England Patriots fan.
There aren’t many teams that get to experience the fanfare like the Patriots do. The last time they did not sell out a home game was during the 1993 season, which shows how passionate the Patriots fans are about their team.
With that passion, it should be easy for a Boston native to pick between Drake Maye and Patrick Mahomes, Maye being the obvious choice in that scenario. However, the rule doesn’t apply to the BYU Cougars star forward, AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa has been on a dream run this season, averaging 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 52% from the field. In the Big 12 tournament matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats, he dropped a tournament high 40 points, most for a freshman since Kevin Durant when he was at Texas.
That performance brought more praise his way and even brought Patrick Mahomes courtside to witness Dybantsa’s game up close. Mahomes was in attendance for the BYU vs West Virginia matchup yesterday.
After the game, Dybantsa was in conversation with Jeff Goodman inside the locker room. The small forward was asked about Mahomes’ presence and to choose between the Chiefs’ superstar and Drake Maye.
“So, I did see Mahomes, and yes, I dapped up Andy Reid,” Dybansta said, avoiding the question.
When Goodman repeated the question, Dybantsa said, “Yeah, Drake is one of my favorite rappers, for sure.” The 19-year-old did his best to avoid answering the question. However, he gave a shoutout to Drake Maye and revealed that he met the Patriots star during his UNC visit.
AJ Dybantsa on Quarterfinal Matchup Against Houston
The BYU Cougars have reached the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. They will face the Houston Cougars on Thursday, March 12. The game will be played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
The winner will qualify for the semifinals and will face the winner of No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 6 TCU on Friday, March 13. Dybantsa was asked about his strategy for the Houston game.
“Individually, just play tough, do not lose the ball, don’t turn the ball over because they thrive in transition, don’t complain for fouls. They’re a physical team, they’ve been physical,” he said.
Dybantsa is ready for Houston’s physical game as it’ll be a win-or-go-home matchup.
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