AJ Dybantsa

Anicet Dybantsa Jr., known as AJ Dybantsa, is a basketball player recognized for his size, skill, and versatility as a 6-foot-9 forward. Dybantsa gained national attention early in his high school career, earning Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a freshman at Saint Sebastian's and leading the Nike Peach Jam in scoring with 25.8 points per game. He later transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and completed his senior season at Utah Prep Academy. During his prep career, Dybantsa reclassified from the class of 2026 to 2025, was named a McDonald's All-American, and earned MVP honors at the FIBA U19 World Cup after contributing to Team USA's gold medal victory.

Dybantsa's international basketball experience includes winning gold medals with the United States at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship and the FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey, where he averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He was named MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup after helping the United States secure its ninth title at the event, establishing himself as a consensus top prospect in his class.

Dybantsa committed to BYU on ESPN's "First Take," becoming the highest-ranked recruit in BYU basketball history. In his freshman season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, with shooting splits of 51.0 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three-point range, and 77.4 percent from the free throw line across 35 starts. Dybantsa earned the Julius Erving Award, consensus first-team All-American honors, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and the NCAA scoring title. He became the first player to lead Division I in scoring and be selected first in the NBA Draft since Glenn Robinson.

The Washington Wizards selected Dybantsa with the first pick of the NBA Draft, making him the first Massachusetts-born player to be chosen first overall. Analysts and coaches have compared Dybantsa's playing style and work ethic to NBA players such as Tracy McGrady, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. Dybantsa is known as a high-usage, multi-level scoring wing who can create his own shot, draw fouls, and defend multiple positions. His addition to the Wizards roster is viewed as a key move for the franchise's future competitiveness in the NBA.