No. 10 BYU caps historic comeback with buzzer-beater against Clemson

BYU (8-1) only shot 5-of-23 from long range in the game, but its defense only gave up 21 points in the second half and held Clemson to just 36% shooting.

While Wright played the hero and sent BYU home with a win, freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa went off for a career-high 28 points (9-of-17 FG), nine rebounds and six assists, completely taking over the game for a Cougars team that appeared to be on the losing end of the battle for much of the night.

AJ Dybantsa's career night helps BYU complete historic comeback

Dybantsa did everything for BYU in the second half, scoring or assisting on 34 of the team's 45 points and posting the fourth 20-point game of his career in just nine games, which is tied for the sixth-most by a freshman in program history.

This ferocious slam between multiple defenders extended BYU's lead to six with just over a minute remaining and showed how athletic Dybantsa is.

The 22 second-half points and five assists from Dybantsa in the second half were more than Clemson had as an entire team, per ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello (h/t ESPN Research).

Dybantsa is projected to be the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft according to ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jeremy Woo. With performances like this, it is easy to see why there was so much hype surrounding him coming out of high school.

Aside from a 86-84 setback to then-No. 3 UConn on Nov. 15, the Cougars have passed every other test so far and have a straightforward nonconference schedule remaining before a daunting Big 12 slate begins on Jan. 3.

The first-half drought against Clemson (7-3) is concerning, especially considering the depth of the Big 12 and the difficult schedule that lies ahead for BYU later this season. However, the Cougars have Dybantsa on their side, which clearly made all the difference on Tuesday night and completely changed the complexion of the game.