BYU Signee AJ Dybantsa Drops 35 Points in MAIT Opener
SALT LAKE CITY – BYU basketball signee AJ Dybantsa is competing in the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament (MAIT) this weekend.
The three-day event in Montverde, Florida, features some of the nation’s top high school teams in an eight-team bracket.
One of the teams in the tournament is Dybantsa’s Utah Prep squad.
AJ Dybantsa Posts 35 Points and 15 Rebounds in MAIT Debut
On Thursday, Utah Prep, led by Dybantsa, faced off against Sagemont Prep from Weston, Florida, for the first day of MAIT.
Utah Prep won the game, 82-79.
Dybantsa, the top-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, scored 35 points, shooting 13-of-21 from the field in 32 minutes. The 6-foot-9 forward also knocked down 7-of-8 from beyond the arc and converted 80% of his 10 free throw attempts.
In addition to his scoring performance, Dybantsa grabbed 15 rebounds, which was a game-high, and added five assists and three steals.
His 15 rebounds were five more than the total Sagemont collected as a team, which had 20.
Sagemont’s leading scorer was four-star Miami signee Matthew Able, who scored 39 points in an effort to keep his team in the game.
Utah Prep’s other top scorers were 2026 four-star recruit Anthony Felesi and Washington signee JJ Mandaquit, each contributing 15 points.
BYU signee Xavion Staton played nine minutes off the bench for Utah Prep, pulling down five rebounds and recording a block.
Utah Prep will return to action on Friday for the semifinals of the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament, where they will face CIA Bella Vista from Scottsdale, Arizona.
CIA Bella Vista defeated Riviera Prep 72-43 on Thursday, with recent Georgia Tech commit Mouhamed Sylla leading the team alongside uncommitted 2025 four-star Jaion Pitt.
The Utah Prep vs. CIA Bella Vista semifinal will tip off tomorrow.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X.
