AJ Dybantsa provided hundreds of highlights during his freshman year at BYU.
But one moment in particular stands out most for me.
It wasn’t part of a special showcase matchup or prestigious TV window. It didn’t come in a tournament setting, nor against an NCAA Tournament team. BYU didn’t even win the game where it happened.
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Instead, it occurred on an undistinguished Wednesday night in early February, and in a half-empty arena in Oklahoma.
As the Cougars visited Oklahoma State on Feb. 4, Dybantsa poured in 36 points with seven rebounds and four assists, making 13 of 20 total shot attempts and going 5 for 8 from 3-point range.
It was another elite offensive outing for Dybantsa, as those had seemingly become routine for him by that point in the campaign and would continue to occur into the postseason.
However, as outstanding as Dybantsa was that night, his scoring 36 points and netting five triples aren’t what made it such a significant memory.
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Instead, I was most struck by what his scoring showcase did to the people around me.
As I watched from press row at Gallagher-Iba Arena, the handful of local Oklahoma media members sitting nearby were in absolute awe of Dybantsa. Every time he got a bucket, whether it came on an outside jumper or tough trip down the lane, resulted in an audible, unbridled reaction from the media folk. Some gasped or exclaimed in amazement. Others would say something along the lines of “you can’t be serious” or “this is crazy.”
None of them could believe what they were seeing, and I had never witnessed such captivation on press row. It felt how I’d imagine the initial audiences for “Star Wars” reacted back in 1977.
It wasn’t like these media members hadn’t seen great basketball before. Some of them covered the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and their league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The NBA’s No. 1 draft pick in 2021, Cade Cunningham, had played at Oklahoma State, and plenty of other top Big 12 talents had come to play in Stillwater over the years as well.
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Yet Dybantsa had the Oklahoma media practically in hysterics. I always believed Dybantsa was a special player, but perhaps watching his consistent excellence made me a bit numb to just how impressive he truly was. Seeing others around me so blown away by Dybantsa helped me put it all into perspective.
In a little less than a month, Dybantsa will hear his name called at the NBA draft, potentially as its No. 1 selection. BYU may not land another player quite like him ever again, but the show he put on in Provo this past year will never be forgotten.
Truthfully, I don’t think Dybantsa’s Oklahoma State outburst was even among his five best games as a Cougar — it’s probably barely inside his top 10. That’s just how good he was.
Here’s a look back at the most premier performances from Dybantsa at BYU.
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Conference tournament takeover
March 10 against Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament
Prior to the start of the Big 12 tournament, it was announced that Arizona’s Jaden Bradley had been named conference Player of the Year over Dybantsa.
Bradley’s selection was somewhat surprising, considering Dybantsa had led the nation in scoring and would go on to make the All-America First Team.
While Dybantsa did offer praise in saying Bradley’s honor was “well-deserved,” he made quite a statement regarding the snub in his next time on the court.
Facing Kansas State — and win-or-go-home stakes — in the Big 12 tournament’s opening round, Dybantsa exploded for 40 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his first taste of postseason play.
Prior to Dybantsa, only one player had ever scored 40 points in a Big 12 tournament game, with Dybantsa becoming the first freshman to accomplish the feat.
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Of BYU’s 86 points from its starting five, nearly 47% came from Dybantsa, who shot 15 of 21 from the field, swiped three steals on defense and finished with a plus/minus of +25 in the Cougars’ 105-91 victory.
Dybantsa scored 93 total points across three Big 12 tournament appearances, breaking Kevin Durant’s 19-year scoring record at the event.
History over the holidays
Dec. 22 against Eastern Washington at the Marriott Center
Three days before Christmas, Dybantsa put a perfect bow on BYU’s nonconference slate.
Dybantsa posted 33 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Eastern Washington, notching a triple-double — the first at BYU since 2016 — in just his 13th collegiate contest.
Until Dybantsa, no Cougar had ever put up 30 points in a triple-double — it had never happened in 124 seasons of basketball at BYU.
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Dybantsa also became the youngest owner of such a stat line in NCAA history, along with the first Division-I player this century with a 30-point triple-double on 80% shooting.
Rocking the rivalry
Jan. 24 against Utah at the Marriott Center
While his time in Provo only saw two matchups against rival Utah, Dybantsa clearly made the most of them.
Dybantsa’s second meeting with the Runnin’ Utes resulted in a career-high 43 points, cementing his place within rivalry lore forever.
Utah chose to double-team Dybantsa rather infrequently, allowing him to sink 15 of 24 shot attempts — and 4 of 5 3-pointers — in BYU’s highest-ever individual scoring performance against Utah.
The 43-point effort also broke the Cougars’ record for most freshman points in a single game — a mark held by Danny Ainge for 43 years before Dybantsa’s dominant night, which also included six rebounds, three assists and a block.
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Greatness at the Garden
Dec. 9 against Clemson in New York City
Dybantsa will likely make dozens of visits to Madison Square Garden during his NBA career, especially if he’s drafted by the Washington Wizards.
However, his first time playing at “the Mecca of basketball” for the Jimmy V Classic will be hard to top.
You may remember Rob Wright III’s game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap a historic BYU comeback and stun Clemson — but don’t forget about Dybantsa’s late heroics in helping to erase such a daunting deficit. He completely took over the game.
After BYU trailed Clemson by 21 points at halftime, Dybantsa scored or assisted on 34 of the Cougars’ 45 second-half points. He scored more second-half points on his own (22) than Clemson did as a team (21), outshooting the Tigers (7 of 11 against 7 of 27) during that same span.
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Additionally, after having scored 20 points after halftime, Dybantsa pivoted to playmaking, leveraging his immense gravity to dish out assists on four straight possessions.
In all, Dybantsa tallied 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists — all personal bests at the time that were each surpassed in his next three games.
But those numbers become even more impressive when factoring in the stage and circumstances involved.
Playing in the world’s most famous arena and in front of a national television audience, Dybantsa turned into a do-it-all, dynamic one-man wrecking crew capable of putting the team on his back.
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Stunning the Cyclones
Feb. 21 against No. 6 Iowa State at the Marriott Center
BYU’s signature win of the past season also proved to be Dybantsa’s signature performance as a Cougar.
Against the No. 6-ranked Cyclones, Dybantsa played all 40 minutes to provide a near triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, leading BYU to an electric 79-69 upset victory.
The offense was certainly tremendous, but Dybantsa’s defense was his most valuable contribution by far. He drew the assignment of guarding Cyclones leading scorer Milan Momcilovic and essentially rendered him invisible, as the typically prolific shooter was held to just five points with one made field goal.
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In addition to locking down Momcilovic, Dybantsa had a block, steal and forced nine Cyclone stops.
If you’re lukewarm on Dybantsa as an NBA prospect, watch his film against Iowa State. It’s some of his best evidence for being the No. 1 pick.
Other notable performances
Nov. 3 against Villanova in Las Vegas: 21 points, 9 of 18 shooting, six rebounds, three assists.
Nov. 15 against No. 3 UConn in Boston: 25 points, 8 of 14 shooting, six rebounds.
Dec. 19 against Abilene Christian: 35 points, 9 of 12 shooting, 17 for 20 on free throws, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
Feb. 7 against No. 7 Houston: 28 points, 9 of 14 shooting, 3 for 4 on 3-pointers, five rebounds, four assists.
Feb. 10 at Baylor: 36 points, 14 of 20 shooting, five rebounds, seven assists.
NCAA tournament first round against Texas: 35 points, 11 of 25 shooting, 12 for 12 on free throws, 10 rebounds.
