In one season at BYU, AJ left a legacy for the ages

Off the court, Dybantsa was a public relations dream. When he wasn’t serving up ice cream cones at McDonald’s, he was handing out shoes and hats to the underprivileged. He went to class. He had his Book of Mormon class talked about on ESPN more than any other human being — in history. He showed up and cheered for the other teams on campus and rarely was he ever spotted in something other than BYU gear.

Dybantsa took the BYU stereotype that often keeps kids outside the dominant culture from looking this way and dunked it with two hands. No one is perfect but coming to Provo cold turkey with parents Ace and Chelsea by his side, AJ did the right things, and he said the right things because he was the right thing — and BYU was the right thing for him.

In addition, Dybantsa paved the way for BYU’s future, not only as a walking billboard as the NBA’s likely No. 1 overall pick and future superstar, but also as a true fan of the place and a pioneer for other players just like him.

Dybantsa’s presence in Provo and on the national scene was so impressive that when five-star Bruce Branch III committed to BYU, it seemed normal; when Collin Chandler announced his transfer from Kentucky, it felt expected; and when Rob Wright III withdrew from the transfer portal to rejoin the team, it personified Kevin Young’s approach to keep winning.

Sure, it would have been wild to have Dybantsa back at BYU for another year, but no wilder than watching a former Cougar go No. 1 in the draft with the potential to dominate the game for years to come — and he will remain a BYU guy through all of it.

BYU’s return on their investment won’t be fully known until after Dybantsa retires. This is new territory for the Cougars. AJ’s return on his investment in BYU will come in three parts — June 23 when he goes No. 1, Cougar Nation’s endless loyalty wherever he goes, and later, as a promise to his mother, when he returns to BYU to graduate.

It’s been quite a ride already — with so much more to come.

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) talks with his teammates as they huddle during a first-round college basketball game against Texas in the NCAA Tournament held at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

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.