The 2 gears that power AJ Dybantsa’s engine — 1 that waits and the other that plays alpha angry

The man has two gears.

There’s the laid-back, considerate, happy-to-support AJ Dybantsa. Then there’s the ticked off, angry Dybantsa that obliterates defenses and takes over games for No. 10 BYU.

When Dybantsa won MVP honors at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, he was very much that first guy.

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Gear 1.

In that championship series against the best players of his age in the world, Dybantsa was content to facilitate with Arizona-bound Koa Peat and others, play defense, assist and, when needed, drive, score, get fouled and make a ton of free throws to help his team remain undefeated.

I’d call that passive AJ.

When he led BYU to a furious second-half comeback against No. 2 UConn and then took over the game in his team’s dramatic 22-point comeback buzzer-beater win over Clemson in the Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square Garden in New York last week, he was very much that apex predator, an alpha dog.

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That’s Gear 2.

That win over the ACC’s No. 23 Clemson was a classic, perhaps a season-defining moment for the Cougar freshman. It was at the right venue with the necessary eyeballs watching and rekindled chatter about just how good Dybantsa really can be.

The Jimmy V Classic was the most-watched ESPN audience for that event in five years.

On his weekly show on BYUtv, BYU head coach Kevin Young said Dybantsa is as unique a player as he’s ever coached. And he’s coached some of the best to have played the game.

ESPN researchers spit out a unique stat from that Clemson game. Dybantsa had more points and more assists than the entire Clemson team in the second half. He outscored Clemson 22 to 21, had five assists to Clemson’s three and shot 7 of 11 from the field compared to Clemson’s 7 of 27.

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In his last two games (Clemson, Cal-Riverside), Dybantsa has outscored opponents 34-28 in the second half by himself.

Angry Dybantsa. Second gear.

Beware.

ESPN college basketball and NBA draft analyst Paul Biancardi immediately went to his social accounts after…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2-gears-power-aj-dybantsa-225000045.html

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Publish date : 2025-12-15 22:50:00

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