AJ Dybantsa could have gone anywhere in the country and he chose BYU. He could have made more money at other places and he chose BYU. He could have found a larger media market to play in and he chose BYU.
He could have also returned for another season, but he chose the NBA.
To no one’s surprise, Dybantsa announced Thursday from his former middle school in Brockton, Massachusetts, that he will declare for the NBA draft, where the 6-foot-9 superstar is widely projected to make BYU history as the No. 1 overall pick.
During his lone season in Provo, Dybantsa did more for BYU basketball than anyone could have imagined.
First: He announced his decision on ESPN and told the world that BYU was a better place for him over North Carolina, Kansas, Alabama and everybody else.
Second: His presence on the team boosted the Cougars to their highest preseason ranking (No. 8) in program history.
Third: Because of his national intrigue, TNT put BYU on its opening night double header against Villanova in Las Vegas.
Fourth: Playing undermanned, he scored 25 points in a furious second-half rally, only to fall short to No. 3 UConn in Boston, 86-84.
Fifth: In front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden, he triggered BYU’s largest second-half comeback in program history, scoring 22 of his 28 points after halftime to erase a 21-point deficit and stun Clemson on Rob Wright’s buzzer-beater, 67-64.
Sixth: He broke Danny Ainge’s freshman scoring record with 43 points to sweep Utah 91-78 in Provo.
Seventh: He scored 29 points and played all 40 minutes in an emotional 79-69 victory over No. 6 Iowa State at the Marriott Center.
Eighth: His 21 points helped BYU knock off No. 10 Texas Tech in Provo, 82-76, during the regular-season finale.
Ninth: He set a Big 12 Tournament scoring record with 40 points against Kansas State in BYU’s 83-73 first-round victory.
Tenth: With his teammates struggling to make shots, he poured in 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in BYU’s 79-71 loss to Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He finished his Cougar career with 894 points — third most by a freshman in NCAA Division I history.
Off the court, Dybantsa was a public relations dream. When he wasn’t serving up ice cream cones at McDonald’s, he was handing out shoes and hats to the underprivileged. He went to class. He had his Book of Mormon class talked about on ESPN more than any other human being — in history. He showed up and cheered for the other teams on campus and rarely was he ever spotted in something other than BYU gear.
Dybantsa took the BYU stereotype that often keeps kids outside the dominant culture from looking this way and dunked it with two hands. No one is perfect but coming to Provo cold turkey with parents Ace and Chelsea by his side, AJ did the right things, and he said the right things because he was the right thing — and BYU was the right thing for him.
In addition, Dybantsa paved the way for BYU’s future, not only as a walking billboard as the NBA’s likely No. 1 overall pick and future superstar, but also as a true fan of the place and a pioneer for other players just like him.
Dybantsa’s presence in Provo and on the national scene was so impressive that when five-star Bruce Branch III committed to BYU, it seemed normal; when Collin Chandler announced his transfer from Kentucky, it felt expected; and when Rob Wright III withdrew from the transfer portal to rejoin the team, it personified Kevin Young’s approach to keep winning.
Sure, it would have been wild to have Dybantsa back at BYU for another year, but no wilder than watching a former Cougar go No. 1 in the draft with the potential to dominate the game for years to come — and he will remain a BYU guy through all of it.
BYU’s return on their investment won’t be fully known until after Dybantsa retires. This is new territory for the Cougars. AJ’s return on his investment in BYU will come in three parts — June 23 when he goes No. 1, Cougar Nation’s endless loyalty wherever he goes, and later, as a promise to his mother, when he returns to BYU to graduate.