Analysis: Why Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa committed to BYU

AJ Dybantsa has finally made his college decision. (Anoke Deitg-Blanchard)

Anyone following New England basketball — plus thousands of basketball fans around the country — have eagerly awaited the day AJ Dybantsa would commit to college.

On Tuesday, the Brockton, Mass., native and top high school prospect announced his decision. Dybantsa is committing to BYU, he revealed on ESPN’s First Take morning show.

Dybantsa had narrowed his dozens of offers down to BYU, Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina. He initially planned to commit in February, but felt confident in his decision earlier than expected and moved up the timeline.

Born in Boston and raised in Brockton, Dybantsa is one of New England’s greatest young talents in decades. He’s the son of two immigrant parents, Anicet “Ace” Dybantsa Sr. (from Congo) and Chelsea Dybantsa (from Jamaica). He first played in prep school at St. Sebastian’s before reclassifying up to 2025 and transferring to Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., then spent a year there before transferring to upstart power Utah Prep this season.

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Dybantsa has consistently topped national rankings throughout his basketball journey. The 6-foot-9 wing is an explosive athlete and uniquely gifted three-level scorer. His game has drawn all sorts of lofty comparisons from mini-Kevin Durant to Tracy McGrady. Over the summer, Dybantsa won gold with Team USA at the FIBA U17 World Cup, and he led his Oakland Soldiers AAU team to a Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship game appearance.

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When Dybantsa plays in his home state, it’s a marquee event. He returned to Boston for a game with his Utah Prep team in November. Local fans will get one more chance to see Dybantsa play here in January, when Utah Prep competes in the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College during MLK weekend.

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Throughout Dybantsa’s recruiting process, he made three values very clear in a potential school: a family-like environment, a winning atmosphere, and a development program that can prepare him for the NBA. On First Take, Dybantsa already hinted at NBA systems he appreciates (the Spurs and Magic). Dybantsa is a relentless film-watcher, and he has repeatedly declared his intentions to go one-and-done in college.

BYU hasn’t had an NBA draft pick since Jimmer Fredette in 2011 — but things are changing. The Cougars brought in Kevin Young as head coach this season. Young was one of the more well-respected assistant coaches in the NBA before joining BYU; he had even inked a 5-year, $10 million extension with the Phoenix Suns in 2023 to be the NBA’s highest-paid assistant at the time.

“After my unofficial visit and conversations with Coach [Kevin Young], he can bring me in and play me like a pro with his knowledge of the NBA with the [Phoenix] Suns and taking it to BYU,” Dybantsa told ESPN in August. “He also mentioned he coached Joel Embiid. He knows what he’s talking about. It’s a big campus and facility.”

BYU is already seeing improvement in its NBA development track. Egor Demin, a freshman combo guard from Russia, has exploded onto the prospect scene as a potential top-five pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft.

The Cougars are 8-2 to start the season, their losses coming against Ole Miss and Providence.

Playing at Utah Prep has given Dybantsa more familiarity with the region, and BYU is about three hours from Utah Prep. Make no mistake though: This is by far the biggest addition for BYU in program history, and the Cougars are about to add a lot of New England supporters.