AJ Dybantsa made an early case of why he could be the Player of the Year in men’s college basketball

On a Jimmy V. Classic night that was supposed to be defined by the UConn vs. Florida game that tipped off second, BYU freshman star AJ Dybantsa delivered a performance that stands out as perhaps the greatest individual effort in the 30-year history of the event.

Playing inside Madison Square Garden for what is certain to be the first of many times, Dybantsa exploded in the second half to lead the 9th-ranked Cougars back from 22 points down to stun Clemson, in what was the second-largest comeback in the history of BYU basketball.

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The final dagger at the buzzer may have been delivered by Robert Wright, but seemingly every other major blow of the comeback came from Dybantsa.

At a time where gambling apps are already listing Duke freshman star Cameron Boozer as a 1/2 favorite to win the Wooden Award, Dybantsa — widely hailed as the No. 1 player in the vaunted 2025 recruiting class throughout his high school career — delivered an “umm….guys?” performance Tuesday night that almost needed to be seen live to be believed.

Clemson was the aggressor in the first half, controlling the glass, forcing their pace, beating Cougar players to seemingly every spot on the floor, and ultimately using a 21-0 run to carry a 43-22 advantage into the locker room with them at halftime.

Then, Dybantsa flipped a switch that maybe only two or three other (or maybe none) players in college basketball have the ability to switch.

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After scoring just six points in the opening half, Dybantsa scored or assisted on 34 of BYU’s 45 second half points. He had seven of his nine rebounds and five of his six assists after the break, and finished the second half with both more points and assists than the entire Clemson team.

When the game tight in the final minutes, Clemson head coach Brad Brownell made the heady decision to force anyone other than Dybantsa to score. The Tigers had multiple defenders with eyes on the 18-year-old star at all times, and he responded in a way that had to…

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Publish date : 2025-12-10 17:39:00

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