PORTLAND, Ore. — On Thursday, in what may have been the ultimate collegiate contest for BYU’s freshman prodigy, AJ Dybantsa, he delivered an exhibition worthy of a prospective high selection in the forthcoming summer NBA draft. Nevertheless, his efforts proved insufficient to sustain his sixth-ranked squad’s season.
Facing 11th-seeded Texas, Dybantsa amassed 35 points and 10 boards, making him the inaugural freshman to tally 35 points in his inaugural men’s NCAA tournament appearance. Yet, his impressive showing was eclipsed by a 79-71 defeat at the hands of the Longhorns.
Dybantsa indicated his anticipation of determining his athletic path within the “upcoming two weeks.” He intends to allocate time to deliberate the subsequent phases of his professional journey with his relatives.
“Predominantly, my mother. She’s somewhat the principal authority,” he stated. “I’ll simply converse with her and ascertain her perspective.”
Dybantsa is anticipated to be the second selection in June’s NBA draft, as per the most recent simulated draft by ESPN’s Jeremy Woo.
Facing the Longhorns, Dybantsa exerted every effort to assist the Cougars in securing a victory. He accumulated 20 points during the initial half, given that Texas struggled significantly to restrain him. Throughout the game broadcast, when questioned about impeding Dybantsa in the first half, Longhorns coach Sean Miller responded, “I don’t believe it’s possible.”
Miller asserted that Dybantsa possessed an unparalleled scoring ability. He further mentioned that Texas’ objective was to restrict Dybantsa’s free throw opportunities to prevent his team members from encountering foul difficulties. Nonetheless, Dybantsa flawlessly converted all 12 of his free throw attempts.
“We attempted numerous varied strategies. And yet, he still managed 35 points,” Miller commented.
Throughout the season, Dybantsa maintained an average of 25.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest for the Cougars. He notched a minimum of 20 points in 28 matchups, surpassing the previous shared record with Michael Smith (1988-89) and Devin Durrant (1983-84) for the second-highest seasonal total in BYU’s annals.
This also represents the second-highest seasonal total within Big 12 history, trailing only Kevin Durant’s (30) achievement in 2006-07.
Should Thursday have truly marked Dybantsa’s concluding appearance in a BYU jersey, coach Kevin Young expressed his gratitude for having been able to contribute to a segment of the prodigy’s basketball narrative.
“I anticipate reflecting in two decades and experiencing immense delight [realizing] that I played a role in his saga,” Young remarked. “During several instances in this evening’s contest, he appeared to be an NBA-caliber athlete.”