Projected No. 1 Pick AJ Dybantsa Commits to BYU

On Tuesday, one of the world’s top basketball prospects on the planet made his collegiate commitment official. AJ Dybantsa, of the 2025 high school class, committed to BYU.

The high school senior, who currently plays for Hurricane Prep in Utah, made his decision on Instagram. He had last narrowed down his choices to BYU, Kansas, North Carolina and Alabama, eventually choosing the Cougars.

Head coach Kevin Young is currently developing a potential top-10 pick in point forward Egor Demin.

The Cougars were considered the heavy favorites coming into Tuesday, with the field narrowing the gap some in recent weeks.

At 6-foot-9, Dybantsa would be the near-consensus choice to be the top 2026 NBA Draft pick at the moment. He’s got a potent offensive skillset, and projects to be a three-level scorer with high-level finishing, and skilled shot-making in the mid-range and from 3-point land.

The forward has some legitimate claim to being the best on the planet. While players like Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper have gotten off to hot starts at the collegiate levels, few prospects have the combination of size, fluidity and scoring prowess that Dybantsa has.

Per NBA Draft on SI’s Keenan Womack: “He's an advanced shot maker that can take over games with his scoring prowess, hitting off-balance shots and making it look easy. Against Cam and Cayden Boozer, he scored 43 points, hitting some truly difficult attempts in the process including one three-pointer as the shot clock expired while being defended up close.”