We all believed he was kidding. We all assumed it was a joke. However, when BYU basketball standout AJ Dybantsa announced that he would not leave college — and hence BYU — he was telling the truth.
Dybantsa addressed his basketball career this morning, according to April Fulstein of the JK Network.
People keep telling me that I must have joined BYU solely for the money, according to the consensus All-American freshman’s statement. Not the culture, coaching, amenities, or even the Big 12 rivalry. I’ve been telling you repeatedly that it’s all about KY [head coach Kevin Young].
However, he confessed to Fulstein that he couldn’t continue the masquerade any longer. It was always about the money.
Dybantsa’s unique combination of size, control, ability, and sophisticated talent for his age places his name at the top of many NBA teams’ draft lists. He’s been the draft’s prize for a long time; a player capable of dominating a game and has a competitive drive that none of his contemporaries in college can match.
Perhaps it should not be so surprising to hear that Dybantsa has unfinished business at BYU following a season that ended in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64. With a recruiting class that includes 5-star McDonald’s All-American Bruce Branch III, the Cougars may control the Big 12 field on their path to BYU basketball’s first Final Four appearance in program history.
However, Dybantsa has no intentions to give up his qualification and join the draft.
The compensation is quite substantial. It’s so so good, you don’t realize. And for that reason, I’m returning in 2027 as well. And 2028. And then I’m going to stick around and play for BYU as we win title after title well into my early thirties. Perhaps then I’ll give the NBA a shot.
Dybantsa’s April 1 vow signals not just a new era for BYU hoops, but also a dynastic pledge implying that BYU basketball may now be an unstoppable force indefinitely.
