Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa attends Sweet 16 game, has big plans for next year
BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZNEWARK, N.J. — The country’s No. 1 recruit was at Prudential Center Thursday night watching his future squad, BYU, play Alabama in the Sweet 16
Unfortunately for Dybantsa, BYU let Alabama shoot an NCAA Tournament-record 25 3-pointers en route to a 113-88 rout.
Still, the 6-foot-9 Dybantsa plans to play in this game next season — and go further.
“I mean, we got a chance to make it to the Final Four,” AJ Dybantsa told ZAGSBLOG before tip. “We here in the Sweet 16, we got a good chance.”
AJ Dybantsa and BYU President C Shane Reese here in Newark for the game
With BYU making a Sweet 16 run before Dybantsa’s arrival, the nation’s top-ranked prospect envisions even bigger things next season for his program.
“The goal is obviously a national championship,” Dybantsa told ZAGSBLOG. “This year we are here, so we want to get here at least, is the goal.”
BYU may have flown under the radar this season compared to some of the marquee names in college basketball, but the expectations for this program will only rise when the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft suits up for the Cougars.
The nightcap between Duke and Arizona featured Cooper Flagg, the presumed No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, going for 30 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in Duke’s 100-93 win, meaning the top two potential picks in back-to-back drafts were in the same building.
Follow Adam Zagoria on TwitterFollow ZAGSBLOGHoops on InstagramAnd Like ZAGS on FacebookFollow Alejandro Lopez on Twitter
