AJ Dybantsa Delivers Statement Week, Earns National Honors After Dominant Performances
If you didn’t know AJ Dybantsa’s name before this week, you do now. The BYU freshman forward didn’t just show up-he took over, delivering back-to-back performances that have officially put him on the national radar.
On Monday, he was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week, and for good reason. Dybantsa wasn’t just good-he was electric, efficient, and flat-out dominant.
Let’s start with the numbers: 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game across two wins over Clemson and UC Riverside. That’s not just stuffing the stat sheet-that’s rewriting it. And he did it all while showing poise and polish well beyond his years.
The headline-grabbing moment came in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, where BYU found itself in a 22-point hole against Clemson. Enter Dybantsa.
The 6-foot-9 freshman exploded for 22 of his career-high 28 points in the second half, almost single-handedly dragging the Cougars back into the game. He outscored the entire Clemson team after halftime, 22-21, going 7-of-11 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 at the line.
Add in seven boards-four of them on the offensive glass-and five second-half assists, and you start to see just how complete his performance was.
And then, of course, there was the dagger. While Dybantsa set the stage, it was Robert Wright III who hit the buzzer-beating three to seal the comeback win. But make no mistake-without Dybantsa’s second-half takeover, that shot never happens.
Just a few nights later, Dybantsa showed he wasn’t done. Against UC Riverside, he poured in 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out seven assists, and swiped five steals in BYU’s 100-53 rout.
That kind of all-around production is rare-especially for a freshman. In fact, he became the first freshman to post a 25/5/5/5 line since Isaiah Stevens did it back in 2019 in a triple-overtime thriller.
And Dybantsa did it in regulation, in a blowout.
He’s also making history in Provo. With 209 points through his first 10 games, Dybantsa now ranks second all-time in BYU freshman scoring through 10 contests, trailing only program legend Danny Ainge, who had 215. That’s elite company-and a strong sign that this kid’s just getting started.
What’s most impressive, though, isn’t just the stats-it’s the way he’s doing it. Dybantsa plays with a blend of size, skill, and basketball IQ that’s rare to find in a freshman.
He’s not forcing things. He’s letting the game come to him, making the right reads, and elevating everyone around him.
Whether it’s crashing the glass, finding cutters, or stepping up in crunch time, he’s checking every box.
BYU fans won’t have to wait long to see him back in action. The Cougars return to the Marriott Center on Tuesday night to host Pacific, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. If Dybantsa keeps playing like this, it might be time to start clearing space in the rafters.