Lehi Sports
BYU commit shines at Lehi Hoopfest
The Show came to Lehi High School on Saturday night, and he did not disappoint in front of a standing-room-only crowd liberally sprinkled with BYU blue.
Utah Prep senior A.J. Dybantsa, a five-star talent who is ESPN’s No. 1 prospect in high school basketball and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, announced his commitment to BYU on national television Dec. 10. The 6-foot-9 wing is the highest-rated recruit in BYU history.
It was clear that Dybantsa knew most of the people were there to see him, but to his credit, he kept his teammates involved in the game. He has made his choice, but many of them are still auditioning for scholarships and there were multiple coaches in attendance at this event.
He still gave his audience what they came to see, and he enjoyed it, as his ready smile attested. Despite his height, his skills handling the ball were impressive and he has come crazy footwork and a full array of moves around the basket. He also set screens, played defense and displayed a team-first mentality.
He got the crowd roaring with several thundering dunks and alsogot a standing ovation when he left the floor in the waning seconds of the game. He had otherwise only sat down for a short period at the end of the first half.
The very talented Texas opponent had no one who could challenge him, but the college teams he’ll be facing next year will. He towered over everyone else in this game and has long arms too, but his body otherwise looked like what he is, a teenager.
The official book had him at 26 points, and I unofficially have 12 rebounds, three assists and a steal. He passed the ball a lot, so his assist total would have been higher if his teammates had made more of their shots when he gave them the ball.
The final score was 84-70, so he only accounted for 30 percent of his team’s total. It could easily have been much higher. He was certainly the star, but the other kids on both teams also played well and it was a very entertaining contest all the way around.
Dybantsa was mobbed on the court and in the hall outside the locker room after the game and treated the mostly-young fanswith patience and kindness, which should make his character an asset for the Cougars as well.
His addition is already impacting BYU’s non-conference schedule for next season as well as the team’s prospects with other desired recruits. Dybantsa will probably only play one season in Provo, but his impact on the program is likely to last far longer.
