AJ Dybantsa's historic performance proves BYU star belongs in national player of the year race

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Monday afternoon, AJ Dybantsa was named Big 12 freshman of the year but missed out on league player of the year honor by conference coaches to Arizona's Jaden Bradley.

A day later, he seemingly took that personally. Or did he?

Dybantsa set a Big 12 tournament freshman scoring record in the Cougars' opening game of the postseason, dropping 40 points in a 105-91 win over Kansas State.

The five-star freshman and projected NBA draft lottery picks was excellent in a masterclass that head coach Kevin Young called — at least perhaps, if we want to throw in the caveat — the most prolific game of his short college career.

The 6-foot-9 jumbo wing also pulled down nine rebounds, dished out six assists, added three steals and shot 70% from the field. Most impressively, though: Dybantsa did have a turnover, despite playing 37 minutes against the Wildcats in the Cougars' 11-turnover night.

It's the first time in the past century an NCAA Division I men's basketball player has recorded such a feat, according to Opta.

So did Dybantsa, whom Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark strongly hinted should be in a frontrunner for a frontrunner for national player of the year, take Monday's perceived "snub" by Big 12 coaches personally?

"Did I take it personally? No; congrats to Jaden Bradley. They had a better record, and were the conference regular-season champs," he said postgame. "He was the head of the snake, the heart and soul of the team. That's it.

"I wanted to win, regardless," he added, when asked if it gave him any extra motivation.

Dybantsa was named Monday to the Sporting News All-America first team, becoming the Cougars' first All-American first-team player since Jimmer Fredette in 2011. The evening prior, he played like one.

But for Dybantsa, the most important thing is winning. After struggling with eight losses in the final 12 games of the season, Dybantsa — who scored 20 points or more in all but one of the final 13 games of the season — has his team back on track in that regard.

And perhaps back in the conversation for national player of the year 24 hours after missing out on that coaches' vote for the conference's top honor.

"(Dybantsa) has had an outstanding year, and should absolutely be part of those conversations," Yormark said unequivocally earlier in the day. "He currently leads the nation in scoring and is on track to be the first underclassmen to lead the nation in scoring since 2021. He's had a fabulous season."

The Cougars (22-10) have won two straight, including an 82-76 win over then-No. 10 Texas Tech in the regular-season finale that many (most?) assume was Dybantsa's final game in Provo before entering the NBA draft and contending for the No. 1 overall pick.

They'll try to make it three-in-a-row Wednesday against West Virginia (5 p.m. MDT, ESPN2) and hope to avenge a crushing 79-71 loss less than two weeks ago in Morgantown.

But the hope started this past weekend.

"I think that win against Texas Tech was huge," said Aleksej Kostic, who has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. "We came off a series of very bad losses, and kind of dug ourselves into a hole.

"But that win gave us hope again, and a feeling of being together and playing for something. I think it was very important to win that game.

Dybantsa's game is providing hope to his team, even as he unlocks his teammates.

With six assists to no turnovers, Dybantsa tied teammate Robert Wright III for the game-high dimes on a team that assisted on just 16-of-40 made field goals.

But when the former Utah Prep standout from Brockton, Mass., got going like he did in shooting 6-of-9 from the field and going 7-of-7 from the free-throw line in the second half, so did his teammates.

"For me, it's beneficial when the defense focuses on him, of course," said BYU freshman Aleksej Kostic, who had scored 11 points on 3-of-7 3-point shooting. "That leaves me open for shots. But for him, I think it's beneficial when I make some, and they have to worry about me and leaves more space for him to attack."

Dybantsa is doing things scarcely — if ever — seen by a BYU freshman, with 806 points that ranks third in BYU history for most points in a season and 15 field goals that ties the program's all-time mark for made baskets by a freshman.

But he's still got more to give.

"I've got some left in the tank," he said. "We've just got to take one game at a time. I think we've got West Virginia tomorrow, and we took a hard one out there. We'll just try to get it back tomorrow, and I think we can go even further."

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