In some ways, AJ Dybantsa and Kihei Akina couldn’t be any more different — including the sports they play and the shots they take. Dybantsa’s basketball fame derives from making as many as possible, while Akina’s golf glory hinges on attempting the fewest.
Both are dominating in their respective domains. Dybantsa is a finalist for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award and is projected to be the top pick in June’s NBA draft. Akina just fell one shot short of winning his third straight collegiate golf tournament.
Introduced prior to committing to BYU, the talented tandem has spent the school year admiring each other’s skill sets.
“AJ’s game speaks for itself,” Akina told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “He’s the No. 1 player in the country without a doubt. I just love the way he plays and the way he goes about himself. It’s been cool to see him represent BYU so well.”
Admittedly a non-golfer, but willing to learn, Dybantsa casts similar praise for Akina.
“It’s been amazing,” he said. “I didn’t know too much about golf, but since I’ve been here, we’ve been hearing great things and what he’s been able to do even at the pro level. So, it’s been special.”
Combined with two other teens, quarterback Bear Bachmeier and track star Jane Hedengren, the four freshmen represent changing times on campus.
“It just shows what BYU is becoming,” Dybantsa said. “BYU has never been really known as an athletic school, but it’s changing. The football team is elevating — it’s packed every time they play. The men’s basketball team is elevating — it was packed every time we played. It just showed that BYU has to offer more than just our sport. We all came here for our sport, but we also came here because of what (BYU) had to offer from a characteristic standpoint and to build your faith and everything like that.”
In addition to Akina’s golf conquests, Dybantsa led the nation in scoring. Bachmeier marched the football team to a 12-2 season and No. 11 final ranking and Hedengren finished as national runner-up in the NCAA cross country championships and recently won two NCAA indoor national championships.
“There is a lot of noise around BYU right now, so it’s cool to be a part of it and mentioned alongside AJ, Bear and Jane,” Akina said. “We all came here for a reason, and we have bigger things outside of our sports and BYU is a big part of that.”
The Ascend Classic
One of those bigger things is The Ascend Classic, the inaugural high-end golf tournament that Akina and Dybantsa are headlining at Black Desert Resort in St. George on April 7.
Fueled by their influence and facilitated by their fathers, the two families hope the event will be the first of many.
“My dad and Alan got together, they wanted to do something special together between the both of us,” Dybantsa said. “I’m not the best golfer, but Kihei is, so we decided to do an ‘Ascend Classic.’ Alan came up with the name. It’s kind of like we are ascending up to the pro level, so we decided to host this tournament.”
The money raised will go to the AJ Dybantsa Foundation and also assist BYU’s NIL funding.
Giving back
“My mom is from Jamaica. My dad is from the Republic of the Congo,” Dybantsa said. “We are going to try and raise as much money as we can so we can help kids from Jamaica get to colleges and universities in the states and kids from Congo to go to universities in other parts of the continent.”
For AJ, the desire to give back started at an early age.
“The most important thing is to keep your kids humble, because they could lose it all tomorrow,” Ace Dybantsa said. “Stay humble and give back.”
At age 4, AJ traveled to Congo in 2011 and watched his father hand out pants at his former middle school.
“Why (are you) doing that? Why are you giving it away?” asked AJ.
“Because they don’t have anything,” said Ace. “Someday it will be your turn.”
A dozen years and a lot of growth later, AJ returned as a budding basketball star and gave away Nike shoes, hats and T-shirts to droves of starstruck children.
“It became second nature to him,” Ace said. “You have got to help those who need help.”
The BYU boost
BYU’s NIL capabilities to support future student-athletes like Akina and Dybantsa will also get a boost.
“This tournament helps out BYU athletics, part of my future, part of something I care about and value, just helping out BYU and AJ’s foundation,” Akina said. “The younger generation is something we can all help out and it’s something this tournament will do.”
Pulling off an event like this is no small chore, and Ace and Alan didn’t finalize their initial plans until late December.
“We’ve been blessed to get support from BYU athletics and a lot of donors who want to support BYU and its future and also AJ with his foundation,” Alan Akina said. “But what’s impressive is the support and the excitement for it and it’s because of these two young men — these two young men are very humble for the position that they have in life.
“They could have anything they want, but they are so humble and they want to give back to their causes, and I think that is what people are resonating with.”
Whether it’s sooner or later, Dybantsa and Akina’s time together at BYU will end, but their annual tournament at Black Desert won’t.
“Hopefully it can turn into something long term as this relationship grows, as we go our own way and do our thing in our sports,” Akina said. “I think it will be cool to continue bringing these people together and helping the bigger cause.”
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.