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BYU star AJ Dybantsa declares for the 2026 NBA Draft

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp04/23/26

Though it comes as no real surprise, BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa has made it official. He will enter the 2026 NBA Draft.

The news comes courtesy of ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. Charania reported the development on Twitter on Thursday around midday.

AJ Dybantsa, formerly the No. 1 recruit in the nation, lived up to his billing in his lone year with the Cougars. He led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game as a true freshman.

He was a consensus first-team All-American. He earned All-American honors from The Sporting News, USBWA, NABC, John R. Wooden, the Associated Press, CBS Sports and Field of 68.

He was a first-team All-Big 12 honoree, as well as the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. That came as no shock after he repeatedly won the weekly awards in the league. He was the two-time Big 12 Player of the Week and the six-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

During the season, Dybantsa also claimed numerous other recognitions. He was named the USBWA Oscar Robertson High-Major Player of the Month in December. He was named the USBWA/CBS Sports Freshman of the Week in mid-December. He was named the Naismith Player of the Week in late January. He was named the Dickie V’s Diaper Dandy of the Week in late February.

In addition to his 22.5 points per game, Dybantsa also chipped in 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. He shot 33.1% from 3-point range on 148 total shots.

Many have projected AJ Dybantsa as the No. 1 overall pick. But it’s not a sure thing in an absolutely loaded draft.

Some view Duke star Cameron Boozer as the No. 1 pick, while others see Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson as the guy. Even Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff has gotten a little love.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas likes AJ Dybantsa, though. He explained a few weeks ago.

“I would probably lean toward AJ Dybantsa because of his positional size and length,” Bilas said via The Ryen Rusillo Show. “Peterson is the most fluid scorer in college I can remember since (Kevin) Durant. You know, over the last 10 games, he was playing 32 minutes a game. So all the stuff about him not wanting to play was nonsense. He’s the real thing. And you don’t want to miss on that. But at the same time, Dybantsa offers stuff that you know isn’t going to miss.”