This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter before BYU’s game against UCF. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week.
AJ Dybantsa is playing like the best player in the country and the rest of the world is coming around with nods and thumbs up.
Sam Vecenie, a college basketball analyst for The Athletic (New York Times), put it this way: “Think the big thing with me on AJ Dybantsa is the way he’s problem-solving in-game quicker and quicker. Early in the season, it took him until the second half sometimes to recognize and adjust to how defenses are playing him. Against Iowa State, he did it in nine minutes.”
Vecenie broke down Dybantsa’s game vs. Iowa State, saying, “I think this was the best, most well-rounded game that any draft prospect has played this season.”
Following his 29-point, 10-rebound, nine-assist game in a win over the Cyclones, Dybantsa earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the second time, Big 12 Newcomer of the Week accolades for the sixth time and made the Big 12 Starting Five for the 10th time. Veteran college basketball guru Dick Vitale had him on his national award billboard for his performance.
Seth Davis, editor and founder of Hoops HQ, noted that Dybantsa’s work against Iowa State “might be the best two-way performance of any player this season.”
His coach, Kevin Young, told reporters after that win that Dybantsa was unbelievable and could do whatever he wanted on the court.
Before the UCF game, in his last six games in a Cougar uniform, here are Dybantsa’s numbers:
- 29 points | 10 rebounds | 9 assists
- 35 points | 13-28 shooting | 7 rebounds
- 20 points | 13 rebounds | 8 assists
- 36 points | 14-20 shooting | 5 rebounds | 7 assists
- 28 points | 9-14 shooting | 5 rebounds | 4 assists
- 36 points | 13-20 shooting | 7 rebounds | 4 assists
Comparisons to Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson, another freshman considered a top NBA pick, are beginning to slant toward Dybantsa.
Sean Paul of the Field of 68 Daily noted on X, “I think AJ Dybantsa is a SLAM DUNK No. 1 overall pick. No doubt that Darryn Peterson is a highly talented scorer, but I think AJ’s versatility, athleticism and defensive upside make him the clear choice.”
With Peterson’s stock taking hits because of his unavailability due to injuries, Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer are looking like the top choices for the Naismith Award as the best player in the country.
Before any games Tuesday, Dybantsa was the nation’s leading scorer with an average of 24.9 points per game, just ahead of Jordan Riley of ECU (23.6) and Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty (23.5).
Cougar Insiders predictions
Question of the week: In BYU’s win over Iowa State, what did the Cougars learn about their Richie Saunders-less roster, and what improvements/adjustments do you anticipate heading down the homestretch in Big 12 play? Predict the win-loss record down over this stretch.
Jackson Payne: To me, the most striking aspect of BYU’s win over Iowa State was the rebounding. The Cougars dominated on the glass, out-rebounding the Cyclones by a 39-28 margin and grabbing 12 offensive boards.
After Saunders’ injury, I worried about BYU’s ability to remain one of the Big 12’s top rebounding squads, especially given his multiple offensive rebounds per game. But against Iowa State, the short-handed Cougars didn’t skip a beat on the glass, and if they can continue such a trend, I think it bodes quite well for their ceiling.
Thanks in part to the rebounding success, BYU’s transition offense was excellent against the Cyclones. The Cougars are averaging nearly 15 fast-break points per game in Big 12 wins , compared to an average of just 8.0 in conference losses. Therefore, I could see BYU placing even more emphasis on transition opportunities moving forward to manufacture offense outside of AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III.
As for BYU’s final two weeks of the regular season, I believe the Cougars will take care of business against West Virginia before falling at Cincinnati. Wes Miller has given BYU trouble in the past, and so too will Cincinnati’s solid defense. Kevin Young’s crew will then rebound with a home win over Texas Tech to end the regular season on a 3-2 run.
Dick Harmon: The rebounding edge by the Cougars against Iowa State was impressive, considering the best hustler on the team, Richie Saunders, was not on the floor. Khadim Mboup and AJ Dybantsa both had 10 boards, and I think Mboup is becoming an elite rebounder. He has tremendous athleticism and desire to get to the ball for a freshman. That he’s coming on and delivering so much per minute is just what the Cougars need heading down the wire.
But the most impressive thing is how Kevin Young has shaped and tweaked his offense and defense. Young’s strategy against Iowa State caught one of the best defensive teams in the country off guard and forced ISU out of its aggression on the floor. This led to Dybantsa getting 29 points and forcing the defense to give up plenty of looks for BYU’s struggling shooters to find their rhythm. The Cougars still need to improve on defense, but holding Iowa State to the 60s was a work of art by Young.
In the ISU win, Young got 44 points from players who were not Dybantsa or Robert Wright III. That is a huge step toward what he needed without Saunders on the court.
I think Dybantsa has taken a big step in his understanding of how to attack defenses and get his teammates involved. He is playing at a different level than he was in early January. It is fun to watch him use his head and see his reaction time and footwork to his advantage. He is a remarkable basketball player to have on BYU’s roster. I see the Cougars finishing on a 4-1 run before the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.
Cougar tales
BYU got a lot of mileage by beating No. 4 Iowa State in the Marriott Center. Where folks had the Cougars as dead, they’ve found new life. Here are a few of our stories on the big win:
- BYU earns signature win over ISU (Jackson Payne)
- What Iowa State’s coach said after loss (Jackson Payne)
- BYU’s supporting cast took big step (Jackson Payne)
- Lee Cummard’s women blasted Utah on the Utes’ home court this past week.
From the archives
From X-verse
Extra points
- BYU’s supporting cast stepped up (Deseret News)
- BYU rally falls short at Arizona (KSLsports)
- Dybantsa antithesis of Peterson (Outkick)
Fanalysts
Comments from Deseret News readers:
Great coaching and team unity. This becomes AJ time for the rest of the season with a strong supporting cast. This team is built to step and it showed. Let’s keep the fire going for the next month of games.
— Coach Bones
Up next
- Feb. 25 | 10 p.m. | men’s volleyball | @ Hawaii
- Feb. 26 | 1 p.m. | softball | @ Cal State Fullerton
- Feb. 26 | 2:05 p.m. | baseball | Washington State
- Feb. 26 | 3:30 p.m. | softball | California
- Feb. 26 | 4 p.m. | men’s tennis | @ Denver
- Feb. 27 | 8 a.m. | track and field | Big 12 Championships, Lubbock
- Feb. 27 | 10:30 a.m. | softball | Seattle
- Feb. 27 | 10 p.m. | men’s volleyball | @ Hawaii
- Feb. 28 | 10:30 a.m.| softball | UCLA
- Feb. 28| 11 a.m. | men’s tennis | @ Air Force
- Feb. 28 | 5:30 p.m. | men’s basketball | @ West Virginia