AJ Dybantsa Keeps Making History: BYU Freshman Named to Big 12 Starting Five for Fourth Time
IRVING, Texas - If you're not already paying attention to AJ Dybantsa, now would be a good time to start. The BYU freshman forward continues to turn heads across the college basketball landscape, earning his fourth selection to the Big 12 Starting Five this season - and he’s doing it with the kind of numbers that demand national recognition.
Standing at 6-foot-9, Dybantsa is proving to be much more than just a high-upside prospect. Over the past week, he averaged 29.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting an eye-popping 65.4% from the field and 82.1% from the free-throw line. That’s not just freshman production - that’s All-American-level efficiency.
His standout performance came in BYU’s win over Abilene Christian, where he dropped 35 points - the second-most ever by a freshman in BYU history. For context, no Big 12 freshman had scored that many since Cade Cunningham poured in 40 for Oklahoma State in an overtime thriller back in 2021. That’s elite company.
And Dybantsa didn’t just fill it up from the field - he got it done at the line, too. He went 17-of-20 from the charity stripe, setting a new BYU freshman record for both makes and attempts in a single game. His 17 made free throws also rank third all-time in a single game for the program, and he joins a very short list of just five Cougars to ever attempt 20 in one contest.
Earlier in the week, Dybantsa showed he’s more than just a scorer. In BYU’s win over Pacific - a familiar face from their old WCC days - the Brockton, Massachusetts native notched the first double-double of his college career with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 8-of-14 from the floor and added six makes on eight attempts from the line, helping the Cougars extend their home winning streak over the Tigers to seven straight.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed nationally. Dybantsa was named NCAA March Madness Freshman of the Week, a nod to his consistent production since the season tipped off. He’s now just the third player in Division I history to begin a career with at least 15 points and four rebounds in each of his first 12 games - a remarkable display of consistency from a player still getting his feet wet at the college level.
BYU wrapped up its non-conference slate on Monday, Dec. 22, with a home matchup against Eastern Washington at the Marriott Center. Tip-off was set for 7 p.m. MT, and if Dybantsa’s recent play is any indication, Cougar fans had plenty to look forward to.
This kid isn’t just making noise - he’s making history.