AJ Dybantsa was back on the Marriott Center floor Thursday night. He wasn’t dunking, dishing out assists or blocking shots. No, he was eagerly waiting for his turn to congratulate the women’s basketball team on their 76-61 victory against Stanford in the quarterfinals of the WBIT.
As they traditionally do after winning, the Cougars walked around the arena and exchanged high-fives with the fans. Eventually, they arrived at Dybantsa. First, he slapped a high-five with freshman Olivia Hamlin. Next, it was star sophomore Delaney Gibb. Then he hugged freshman Mariam Traore before connecting hands with freshmen Bolanle Yussuf and Braeden Gunlock. One by one, Dybantsa greeted them all.
The smile on his face painted a portrait worthy of Norman Rockwell — of a 19-year-old kid having the time of his life. At least for a little while, as he promoted the game on social media and anchored the student section from the front row, Dybantsa wasn’t college basketball’s leading scorer or the projected No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft.
He was a just freshman on a campus he has grown to love.
Everybody who is old can testify that you only get to be young once. For Dybantsa and his family, there are five weeks left to decide if he is done being a kid, and that is a heavy choice to make.
The deadline to declare for the NBA draft is May 1. The deadline to notify the school if he is returning is May 27. The draft itself is June 25-26.
Every adult in the room not named Ace or Chelsea (AJ’s parents) would have Dybantsa entering the draft in an instant, because no one in their right mind could possibly pass up the quest for fame and fortune at such a young age. This is a grab-and-go world. Grab what you can and go.
The Dybantsas don’t roll like that.
Ace and Chelsea are deep, faith-based thinkers. They are invested in the lives of their three children. Already blessed with the monetary means to thrive, what drives them is doing what is best for their kids, and when they are driving, as Ace and AJ freely admit, Chelsea is behind the wheel.
The Dybantsas shocked the country 18 months ago when AJ went on ESPN to announce he would be attending BYU over offers from Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama and every other school in America. Host Stephen A. Smith was shocked and asked why he would make such a choice.
Prior to his parents’ initial recruiting visit to campus, the Dybantsas didn’t know much about BYU, Provo or school sponsor The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, they know all about them, and AJ’s “A” grades in his Mission Prep and Book of Mormon classes, along with Ace’s selfies with the apostles, reflect their positive experience.
BYU has been good for the Dybantsa family, and the family has been good for BYU.
The question now is, would another year be even better?
As Egor Demin, who left BYU after his freshman season, would attest, college is a place for personal growth and enjoyment. The NBA is all business. The classroom discussions, study groups, social interactions and trips to the creamery are replaced by the cold facts of wins, losses, shooting percentages, loneliness and living out of a suitcase.
This isn’t a knock on the NBA. Kids go to college so they can get good jobs, and the rewards in professional sports are obvious, especially for the best players — fame, fortune and security. The NBA is AJ’s dream. The decision for the Dybantsas is how soon do they want that dream, and its accompanying lifestyle, to become a reality?
AJ’s brand already has backers, including Nike, Red Bull and Topps trading cards. A decision to play another year at BYU would hardly scare them off. In fact, it could benefit business with Dybantsa being the undisputed face of college basketball next season. NIL opportunities would also further pad his portfolio for a second go-round.
It comes down to two big questions:
What would AJ lose if he chose to return to BYU? As the rules stand today, the clock on his three-year NBA rookie contract wouldn’t start until he is drafted, and everybody knows it’s the second contract where a player can really get paid. It’s about millions of dollars sooner than later. There is also the risk of injury, which is ever present in sports. Dybantsa watched teammate Richie Saunders and Big 12 combatant JT Toppin both go down late in the season with torn ACLs.
What would he gain if he came back? As far as basketball goes, he would get another year under Kevin Young’s tutelage and a second shot at the Big Dance. But as for his life, AJ would get another year of personal growth as he pursues a degree (a promise he made to Chelsea), the advancement of lifelong relationships, a social (and somewhat normal) life, postgame trips to the creamery, and a few more of those wide smiles we saw on Thursday — all things that NBA money can’t buy.
If you don’t think those things matter to Ace and Chelsea, then you don’t know them.
To his credit, AJ has remained consistent with his positioning. Last summer on the “Y’s Guys” livestream show, he adamantly declared, “I never said I was a one-and-done.” Last month on the Deseret News podcast, “Deseret Voices,” he said it again and even went a step further, noting that his mom will have the final say — and AJ listens to his mom (and dad).
If Ferris Bueller could chime in, he might encourage AJ to return to BYU: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
To the contrary, Charles Barkley made his pitch during the CBS studio coverage of the NCAA Tournament: “He has to go!”
In a culture where the young rush to be old and the old wish to be young, the Dybantsas stand at a crossroads where there isn’t a wrong decision. It’s about what he wants for himself and what Ace and Chelsea want for their boy, who, even if he decides to stay for another year, will still be the top pick in the 2027 draft — at the ripe old age of 20.
AJ’s return to BYU might be wishful thinking for a fan, but for the Dybantsas, it will remain a strong consideration right to the end. They shocked the basketball world when they chose the Cougars the first time. Just imagine life around here if they did it again.
April is going to be a fascinating month.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.