The extent to which things have changed at BYU can be summed up in one short sentence.

This sentence: AJ Dybantsa signs with the Cougars.

In addition, cougars and non-cougars alike burst out with a facial expression – intended to express giddy amazement on the one hand and/or mundane surprise on the other – that would in fact be a violation of the honor code.

It’s not like Dybantsa’s decision comes as a complete shock. He had had BYU on his shortlist for some time. Still, seeing it actually come to fruition is…unprecedented.

While it may be old news — well, he announced it on ESPN a few hours ago — but it’s new news at BYU and new for schools like North Carolina and Kansas that the Cougars need to beat. If it actually becomes old news, old hat here and there and everywhere that regular-season signings like this happen, then look for BYU to make a serious mark on basketball, not just in college’s best league game, but also on courses on one coast to courts on the other, right here on courts anchored in the shadow of the Wasatch.

If you don’t know much about Dybantsa, you will. Chances are you will.

The boy is the No. 1 basketball recruit in the country. He prepared for his time at BYU at Utah Prep after getting to know the Cougars and especially new coach Kevin Young – everything is fresh at BYU basketball games. He’s one of the main reasons the incredibly talented 6-9 forward is heading to Provo. Why exactly? What has Young done so far in college basketball? Not much.

His first season at BYU began weeks ago, but his reputation as an educator who can prepare talented players, players who have no real intention of wearing a cap and gown within the traditional time frame but who have very real ideas about it Having to play in the NBA as a high draft pick in the near future is significant. His time in the NBA, a league even better than the Big 12, particularly with the Phoenix Suns, cemented that reputation.

Dybantsa said as much on ESPN’s “First Take” as he unzipped his sweatshirt to reveal a BYU t-shirt underneath and donned a BYU cap as he announced he was heading to the BYU, and the reason was because he believed Young had the ability to get him there.

“I noticed a lot during my visit,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously coach Kevin Young is there. You know, my ultimate goal is to get to the NBA. He coached my favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant. He praised him very much. … I’m trying to get to the NBA. I think it’s the best development for me.”

He even threw in a “Go Cougs.”

When asked who his game reflected, Dybantsa said a combination of Tracy McGrady and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His father, who was also on set, said he played like LeBron James.

So it’s not like anyone, including himself, has any high standards for AJ.

That being said, what’s equally important, no matter what anyone says to the contrary, is how much cash BYU can provide to people like Dybantsa. They figure that if everything goes according to plan, they’ll be on track to mine a lot more gold in the coming years, but why not make generational money right from the start? However, purists hate this idea all the time as they complain about the changes in the college game, knowing full well that in a similar situation they would resort to their own Brinks truck as quickly as possible.

Dybantsa can. To the tune of a handful of millions.

That’s right, millions of dollars for a single basketball season. That’s just how it is, that’s how it is at the top of college ball and that’s how it is now at BYU.

It’s never been like this. BYU has never signed anyone close to the No. 1 recruit in the country. Never. They built their reputation primarily on gritty players who could score, players who were two levels better than the guys who played for the Millcreek 3rd Ward in the church gym, with a few notable exceptions. I mean, Kresimir Cosic was a remarkable player, Danny Ainge, fantastic, Jimmer Fredette, fun to watch.

But those were notable exceptions for BYU teams that, in good years, probably competed for a league title in a backwater conference and then…and then were quickly eliminated in the NCAA Tournament, if they qualified at all.

Ainge is still fondly remembered and praised for leading his Cougars to the Elite Eight in 1981. However, exceptional talent at BYU has typically been, or at least has been, in short supply.

No longer.

Now it’s about whether Young can do and improve on what John Calipari and others have done and are doing. Namely, take what he gets – players like newcomers Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings – and develop them and exploit them while the takings are good and, just as importantly for the win-loss record, pair them with longer-term teammates, guys who are more likely to get a degree like an MBA than a degree like an NBA.

Young has also received a commitment from Xavion Staton, a 7-foot four-star from Vegas who seemingly stops as many shots as comes his way, and Chamberlain Burgess, a more traditional top recruit who but should not be taken for granted. from Orem.

Now there is Dybantsa, the real prize. The main prize. A whole new level.

When Young attracts such a player and the others, the pressure on him to do something with them increases. But it’s more than obvious that he would rather take on the pressure alongside the talent than try to win without him. One of the main reasons Young left his NBA coaching position to move to Provo was because of certain conditions – yes, new conditions – that included not only significant NIL support, but also a team with NBA connections.

Dybantsa mentioned this and pointed out that if his goal is to play in the NBA, then why wouldn’t he want to be surrounded by coaches who have the experience to push him in the pursuit?

So there is a new era at BYU. The beginnings are there and waiting to be pushed upwards and further shortly. The Cougars’ rebuild this season will be interesting to watch given the amount of young talent. So far it’s been a stroke of luck. But as this wave passes through, a second wave is on the way, and perhaps a third. Tasty waves, and BYU expects a righteous buzz to accompany them.

Big things had best come out of that first set. Young was paid a huge amount of money by BYU standards, not just to attract NBA talent, but to turn them into BYU talent, enough to compete at the top of the Big 12. Tuesday’s good news can become great news. But only if the expected development and mixing is realized. Making it a reality is the only thing that will transform what has always been good, almost always good, into new, new greatness at BYU.

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