BOSTON, Mass. — AJ Dybantsa doesn’t get many opportunities to play at home these days. He made his final chance to do so in high school count.
Dybantsa, the Brockton, Mass. native and No. 1 recruit in the country, returned Wednesday night to a sold-out crowd at Emmanuel College, where he scored 18 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead Utah Prep to a 79-71 victory over Highland School (Va.) in a Grind Session matchup.
Dybantsa will play one more game this winter in Massachusetts, on Jan. 19 at the annual Hoophall Classic in Springfield. But Wednesday marked the final opportunity for the 6-foot-9 phenom to dazzle a Boston crowd before he heads to college next fall, and in all likelihood becomes a top pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
He last played in Boston earlier this year, when he led Prolific Prep in a game at BC High. This time, though, he felt some more electricity around the city and inside the gym, where he experienced a bigger crowd with plenty of familiar faces.
