NBA fans who have never seen A.J. Dybantsa play are about to become very familiar with the budding star’s game.
As the forward out of Brigham Young University gets set to embark on his NBA career, the talk seems to be entirely around his game. While other possible draft picks have any number of off-court concerns, whether it’s injuries or work ethic, no one has ever questioned whether Dybantsa, 19, belongs at or near the top of NBA Draft boards.
There has also never been a question of whether the Brockton, Massachusetts native would spend one or more years in college. The consensus first-team All-American was a surefire one-and-done from the beginning, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with school.
With his pro career on the horizon, keep scrolling to see why Dybantsa is so much more than an elite basketball talent.
A.J. Dybantsa Is the Son of Immigrants
A.J. remains close to both his parents: his father, Ace, and mother, Chelsea. Ace was born in the Republic of the Congo and moved to France as a teenager before coming to the United States. Chelsea grew up in Jamaica and met Ace at a Boston-area gym.
Ace and Chelsea also share daughters Samarra and Jasmyn.
A.J. Dybantsa Chose BYU Because He Likes the Privacy of Utah
A year before he committed to BYU, few could have predicted he’d end up with the Cougars. Ranked as the top recruit in the country, he had offers from every blueblood program and dozens of schools closer to his New England home.
Then, he transferred to play his final season of high school ball in Utah, where he learned he could live in relative anonymity.
“Nobody bothers me,” A.J. told Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor last year. “I’m in Utah. Nobody knows where that’s at. But that’s like, they don’t have no idea who I am. They just ask me if I play basketball.”
BYU assistant coach Brandon Dunson told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander that A.J. didn’t care for the party scene at Prolific Prep in California, where he had played before. BYU, a dry campus with a strict honor code, was simply a good fit.
“At Prolific, there were guys doing all types of stuff, and he didn’t like it,” Dunson said. “He didn’t like the people he was around. Some guys were out drinking, doing all this stuff. That’s not him.”
A.J. Dybantsa Holds BYU’s Single-Game Scoring Record
No player in college basketball showed the ability to take over a game quite like A.J., proving he was NBA-ready the moment he stepped onto campus. If he had any lingering doubters, they were gone by January 24, when he scored a BYU-record 43 points in a win over bitter rival Utah.
“In my mind I was thinking, “Man, this is a special player,’” BYU head coach Kevin Young told reporters after the game. “I’ve said it a lot, I think he is the clear-cut No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft coming up. It was on full display tonight. He was doing it every which way. I think the thing that I liked more than anything was he was coming off his worst performance of the year. He wasn’t good at Texas Tech and came out tonight unfazed and clearly wanted to just go out and dominate.”
A.J. Dybantsa Does Not Have an Agent
Unlike virtually every NBA prospect, A.J. doesn’t have an agent. Instead, he makes every decision with the help of Ace and Chelsea.
“If you get an agent, come on, they’re getting a piece,” Ace explained to Norlander. “Last time I checked, I’m the one that changed the diapers for A.J., not y’all…I have nothing against agents. AJ is No. 1. You know how much he’s going to make. It’s there. Google it. Why do I have to hire an agent to tell me what I already know what’s fair?”
A.J. Dybantsa Is Committed To Earning His College Degree
A.J. finished his freshman year with a 3.6 GPA, and even though he won’t be enrolled full-time in the fall, he promised his mom that he will get his degree. And unlike many star athletes who go back to school after their playing careers, A.J. said he will do it in his 20s.
His head coach doesn’t doubt that A.J. can get it done.
“That guy doesn’t screw around with academics,” Young told Norlander. “I have nothing but great things to say about the family.”
