AJ Dybantsa and Team USA have improved to 3-0 in group play at the FIBA U19 World Cup, rewriting the record book in the process.
Tuesday against Cameroon, Team USA hit a U19 World Cup record 19 3-pointers en route to a 129-70 victory in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The BYU freshman Dybantsa played 20 minutes and scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, adding five rebounds and four assists as well.
Of Team USA’s 19 made triples, only one came from Dybantsa, who shot 1 of 5 from behind the arc. Dybantsa’s teammates Caleb Holt and Mikel Brown Jr. led the charge with five made 3-pointers each.
Additionally, Dybantsa proved especially solid defensively against Cameroon, with one notable highlight showing him picking up a steal and taking it right back for a dunk.
Team USA will next play Wednesday in the Round of 16, with its opponent yet to be determined.
The U19 tournament offers Dybantsa the chance to win his third FIBA gold medal, having done so before at U16 and U17 events in the past.
During three contests of group play, Dybantsa averaged 16.7 points on 51.9% shooting with 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists, continuing to bolster his reputation prior to beginning his highly-anticipated collegiate career at BYU.
“I think everybody realizes the talent that’s there. As a staff, obviously, we’re trying to harness and develop that in certain areas, but he already brings to the table a lot of special things,” BYU assistant coach Will Voigt said of Dybantsa on Monday’s edition of “BYU Sports Nation.” “So, to me, his competitive spirit has been really what I’ve been most impressed with.
“From day one, he’s come in, he’s worked hard, he’s played hard, he competes in everything that we’re doing. He’s brought a lot of maturity in that aspect that I wasn’t really prepared for.”
AJ Dybantsa’s Team USA teammates and coaches
- Mikel Brown Jr.: 5-star point guard at Louisville
- Caleb Holt: 5-star shooting guard in the class of 2026
- Daniel Jacobsen: 4-star center at Purdue
- Jasper Johnson: 4-star combo guard at Kentucky
- Morez Johnson Jr.: 4-star forward at Illinois
- Nikolas Khamenia: 5-star forward at Duke
- JJ Mandaquit: 4-star point guard at Washington (and Dybantsa’s former Utah Prep teammate)
- Brandon McCoy Jr.: 5-star combo guard in the class of 2026
- Koa Peat: 5-star forward at Arizona
- Jordan Smith Jr.: 5-star combo guard in the class of 2026
- Tyran Stokes: 5-star forward and consensus top prospect in the class of 2026
- Tommy Lloyd: Head coach at Arizona
- Grant McCasland: Head coach at Texas Tech
- Micah Shrewsberry: Head coach at Notre Dame