AJ Dybantsa Drops 35, Breaks BYU Freshman Scoring Record and Fuels NBA Draft Buzz

AJ Dybantsa is turning a sensational freshman campaign into must-watch television and must-click headlines. The 6-foot-9 wing from Brockton, Massachusetts poured in 35 points against No. 4 Arizona this week, matching Michael Beasley and Trae Young for the most 35-point games ever recorded by a Division I freshman at five. That scoring binge also pushed the BYU star past Danny Ainge’s 48-year-old program record for freshman points; Dybantsa now sits at 644 with six regular-season contests still on the Big 12 slate. He is averaging 24.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 38 percent from three, numbers that already lead all high-major first-year players this season. Beyond the box score, Dybantsa’s arrival has given BYU instant national relevance in its first year inside the rugged Big 12. The Cougars are 19-7 (7-6 conference) despite losing starting guard Richie Saunders to a season-ending ACL tear, and bracket projections have them hovering between a No. 5 and No. 7 seed. Every additional win—and every Dybantsa eruption—strengthens their résumé for March Madness. His impact is felt off the floor as well. Industry sources estimate the forward secured an NIL package approaching $7 million, one of the largest deals in college hoops history, after reclassifying from the 2026 to the 2025 recruiting class and choosing BYU over blue-blood suitors. Those dollars, coupled with the program’s newfound Big 12 exposure, have already sparked a wave of interest from other elite recruits. NBA scouts are just as intrigued. Many view Dybantsa as a prototype modern wing—long, fluid and comfortable creating off the dribble—and peg him as an early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft if he stays on his current trajectory. His combination of three-level scoring, playmaking vision and defensive versatility has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant at the same age, comparisons he continues to validate with every record he erases. The next measuring stick arrives Saturday when BYU hosts No. 15 Iowa State before traveling to Texas Tech and Baylor. One more 35-point outburst would give Dybantsa the freshman record outright; a string of 20-plus-point nights could elevate him into the national Player of the Year conversation—a feat no true freshman has accomplished since Durant. For now, the college basketball world is on Dybantsa watch. Each game brings another milestone, another viral highlight and another surge of search traffic as fans type the same three letters: “A-J-D.”