AJ Dybantsa earned MVP honors as Team USA wrapped up the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup with gold in a 109-76 win over Germany on Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The United States pulled off a clean sweep in the tournament with impressive wins in the knockout rounds. Dybantsa averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals across all seven international games.
BYU fans got a good feel for AJ's game ahead of his one-and-done season in Provo. He's an excellent defender with size and athleticism. He'll need to fine tune his game offensively, but that's going to be great to watch. One of the most exciting things Dybantsa brings to the table is his willingness to be a student of the game. He's going to need to learn and adapt to certain situations, which is key to his development.
For his efforts, Dybantsa was also named to the tournament's All-Star Five, alongside USA teammate Mikel Brown Jr., Germany's Christian Anderson and Hannes Steinbach, plus Slovenia's Zack Smrekar. Brown scored in double figures six of his seven games played, including three 20-point games.
Dybantsa will return to BYU with summer workouts on the horizon. He'll prepare for a stacked non-conference slate that includes a MTE (multi-team event) at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
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