BYU's AJ Dybantsa to Lead Team USA U19 in FIBA World Cup

Team USA is set to depart for Switzerland on June 24 to prepare for the FIBA U19 World Cup. Dybantsa and his teammates will open group play on June 28 against Australia, with additional games scheduled for June 29 and July 1. All three contests will be streamed on YouTube. 

Dybantsa told reporters he wanted to “bring back gold for BYU,” and is no stranger to international success. He helped Team USA win gold at both the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship in Mexico and last summer’s U17 World Cup in Turkey. Most recently, he played a starring role at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, where he tallied 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a dramatic overtime win against the World Select Team.

The U19 team features a solid coaching staff led by Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, with some top assistants, including Kentucky head coach and former BYU leader Mark Pope and North Carolina’s Hubert Davis.

Though Dybantsa won’t face Big 12 competition until BYU opens conference play in December, his time with Team USA offers a valuable early preview to rival coaches. 

With his eyes set on gold, Dybantsa is ready to show off his skills as one of the most exciting talents before heading back to Provo.