AJ Dybantsa declares for NBA draft: How does he project at the next level?

After a remarkable freshman season at BYU, 19-year-old forward AJ Dybantsa officially announced that he will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Dybantsa will turn pro as an early entry candidate after a successful and impressive one-and-done collegiate campaign. The former McDonald’s All-American forward averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is currently projected at No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards in USA TODAY’s latest mock draft.

Advertisement

Dybantsa led the NCAA in scoring and was named a consensus first-team collegiate All-American, also earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year and the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

During his sole appearance in March Madness, he scored 35 points with 10 rebounds. It was one of eight games in which he had at least 30 points, highlighted by a 43-point performance against in-rival Utah. Dybantsa also notched a 30-point triple double against Eastern Washington in December.

1 / 37

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

1 / 37

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

2 / 37

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Kansas Jayhawks cheerleaders perform before a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the St. John’s Red Storm at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, Calif.

3 / 37

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Nebraska’s Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

4 / 37

See best of March Madness 2026, from…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/aj-dybantsa-declares-nba-draft-184829696.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-04-23 18:48:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.