BYU’s AJ Dybantsa announced on Apr. 23 that he will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, making his decision public at an event held at the Davis School in Brockton, Massachusetts.
Dybantsa’s announcement is significant as it marks another high-profile departure from BYU Men’s Basketball and follows a season in which he earned consensus First Team All-American honors. His decision comes after just one year with the Cougars, where he established himself as a leading scorer and key player under head coach Kevin Young.
“Today I am officially declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft,” Dybantsa said during his announcement. “I want to thank all of my coaches, BYU head coach Kevin Young and the whole staff at BYU, all of my teammates that I have played with since I was a kid. I want to thank God. I wouldn’t be healthy or here without him.”
Dybantsa also said that he plans to finish his degree at BYU in the coming years. In his only season in Provo, Dybantsa led the nation by averaging 25.5 points per game and scored in double figures in all 35 games played. His performances included eight games with more than 30 points and two games surpassing the 40-point mark.
He became the first freshman in program history to record a triple-double—33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists—in a win over Eastern Washington. Dybantsa finished his season with 894 total points, ranking second-most for a single season at BYU and third-most by any freshman in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history.
During postseason play, Dybantsa broke two Big 12 tournament scoring records previously held by Kevin Durant—including a notable game where he scored 40 points against Kansas State as part of a team effort that set a conference tournament record with 105 total points.
With this announcement, head coach Kevin Young could see back-to-back lottery picks leave for professional basketball as Dybantsa pursues an NBA career while expressing intent to complete his education.
