AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 winger who is the No. 1 prospect in high school basketball and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, announced his commitment to BYU on Tuesday morning.

Dybantsa, who made his announcement on ESPN’s First Take, chose the Cougars over Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas. He is the first five-star recruit to commit to BYU since ESPN’s recruiting database began in 2007.

“At BYU, the entire staff from the head coach down came from the NBA,” Dybantsa told ESPN. “Head coach Kevin Young coached my favorite player in KD (Kevin Durant) and Devin Booker. They both had a lot of good things to say about him. We watched clips of both of them.”

BYU had positioned itself at the top of Dybantsa’s list shortly after new head coach Kevin Young took over the Cougars last spring. Young flew to visit Dybantsa’s parents during the NBA playoffs last spring while he was still on the Phoenix Suns team, then hosted Dybantsa for a visit in late June. Dybantsa also made his final official visit to the BYU campus in October.

Dybantsa always referred to all NBA encounters at BYU – even the program’s strength and conditioning coach, Michael Davie, was with the Milwaukee Bucks and nutrition director Danielle LaFata came from the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.

“Coach Young’s NBA background played a big role in my decision,” Dybantsa said. “He came from the NBA. He has coached NBA players. You can’t get any closer to my goal.”

Several other schools were involved in the process, with Dybantssa visiting Kansas State in late August before failing to make his final four-man roster. He also visited Kansas, Alabama and North Carolina – along with his father, Ace, who attended the Alabama-North Carolina game in Chapel Hill last week.

“It was a difficult decision,” Dybantsa said. “The hardest part about the recruiting process is that after every visit you want to go to that school.”

Dybantsa, originally from Massachusetts, transferred from Prolific Prep (California) to Utah Prep (Utah) over the summer and was initially a member of the high school class of 2026 before reclassifying to 2025 in October 2023. He was the top prospect in 2026 and maintained that status moving into 2025.

He was one of the country’s most prolific scorers during his high school basketball career and was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Massachusetts. Despite playing in an age group at the Nike Peach Jam in the summer of 2023, he led the event with an average of 25.8 points. Last spring he averaged 22.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 51.9% from the floor and 36.7% from 3-point range – then dropped 23 this summer .1 points and led the Oakland Soldiers to the Peach Jam championship game.

Dybantsa was also an integral part of the USA Basketball team, winning gold medals at both the 2023 FIBA ​​Americas U16 Championship and the 2024 FIBA ​​U17 World Championship. He started all six games at the U16 level, averaging 13.7 points and 3.8 assists, and then started all seven games at the U17 level, averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Dybantsa is the epitome of the modern NBA winger, possessing size, skill and explosiveness. He can play in multiple positions, causing inconsistencies, even though he is only 17 years old. He shines as an aggressive attacking wing, but can also become a playmaker and initiate attacks for his teammates. His scoring is most effective in the midrange as most can’t keep up with his size and high release. He is a tough shot maker who has increased his 3-point percentage and also has the ability to score through contact at the rim and get to the free throw line. Defensively, he can block shots with a quick second jump and is able to transition on the perimeter.

Young must now surround Dybantsa with enough talent to make BYU nationally competitive during his only season in Provo.

“The goal is to win a national championship,” he said. “Their individual plan is to get me NBA-ready, the No. 1 overall draft pick. They will help me with my 3-point shooting and get me to different spots where I would play in the NBA.”

The star wing is the third member of the Cougars’ 2025 recruiting class, joining ESPN 100 center Xavion Staton (No. 34) and four-star big man Chamberlain Burgess. BYU only has four seniors on the roster this year, but the Cougars could also lose projected lottery pick Egor Demin and first-round pick Kanon Catchings.