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AJ Dybantsa

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AJ Dybantsa
Dybantsa in the Nike EYBL in 2024
No. 4 – Washington Wizards
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2007-01-29) January 29, 2007 (age 19)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeBYU (2025–2026)
NBA draft2026: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Drafted byWashington Wizards
Playing career2026–present
Career history
2026–presentWashington Wizards
Career highlights
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA U19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place2025 SwitzerlandTeam
FIBA U17 World Cup
Gold medal – first place2024 TurkeyTeam
FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place2023 MexicoTeam

Anicet Francois Dybantsa Jr. (/ˌɑːniˈseɪ/ ah-nee-SAY, /diːˈbɑːntsɑː/ dee-BAHNT-sah; born January 29, 2007) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dybantsa played one year of college basketball for the BYU Cougars, earning the Julius Erving Award after leading the nation in scoring for the 2025–26 season, prior to being selected first overall by the Wizards in the 2026 NBA draft. He is also a member of the U.S. national under-19 team, earning a gold medal at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup and tournament MVP honors.

Early life

Anicet Francois Dybantsa Jr. was born on January 29, 2007, in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Brockton where he attended Saint Sebastian's School.[1][2] His father Ace was born in the Republic of the Congo and later moved to Grigny, France, while his mother Chelsea is from Jamaica.

He was named the 2023 Massachusetts Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year following his freshman season after averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.[3] Dybantsa helped lead Saint Sebastian's to the NEPSAC Class A state championship, but lost to Milton Academy 77–76.[4]

Dybantsa transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, at the end of his freshman year, where he teamed up with the second-ranked player of the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes.[3][5] In July 2023, Dybantsa led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring with 25.8 points per game[6] as a member of Expressions Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team from Boston.[7]

Dybantsa concluded his high school basketball career playing for Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah, during the 2024–25 season.[8][9]

Recruiting

Dybantsa was named the number one NBA prospect in the 2026 class by ESPN following his high school freshman season,[10] with his first NCAA Division I college offer coming from Boston College.[11] Additional schools that offered him a scholarship and/or were under consideration include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, UConn, Duke, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Kentucky, North Carolina, Providence, USC, Utah and Washington.[12][13] In July 2023, On3.com named Dybantsa the top high school player in the country regardless of class.[6] In October 2023, Dybantsa announced that he had reclassified to the 2025 class.[14]

College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
AJ Dybantsa
SF		 Brockton, MA Utah Prep 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 203 lb (92 kg) Dec 10, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   On3: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 5/5 stars   
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 1    247Sports: 2    On3: 1    ESPN: 1
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2025 BYU Basketball Commitment List". Rivals. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  • "BYU Cougars". ESPN. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  • "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  • "BYU 2025 Basketball Commits". 247Sports. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  • "2025 BYU Cougars Basketball Commits". On3. Retrieved March 14, 2026.

College career

On December 10, 2024, Dybantsa announced on First Take that he would be committing to BYU as he wanted to play basketball without off-court distractions.[15] He became the highest-ranked committed recruit to join BYU in program history.[16]

On January 24, 2026, Dybantsa passed Danny Ainge for the most points posted by a BYU freshman in a game, recording 43 points during a 91–78 victory over Utah.[17] On April 22, Dybantsa declared for the 2026 NBA draft, in which he was projected as a potential first overall pick.[18]

Professional career

On June 23, 2026, Dybantsa was selected first overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2026 NBA draft.[19] He signed a four-year rookie contract worth $66.91 million on July 2, 2026.[20]

National team

Dybantsa won a gold medal while representing the United States at the 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico. He scored 12 points in the gold medal game and averaged 13.9 points for the tournament.[6][21][22] The following year, he helped the United States win the title at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey, where he averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists during the competition.[23] In 2025, Dybantsa was named MVP of the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, after helping the United States win their ninth title at the event.[24] He averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the tournament.[25]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2025–26 BYU 353534.8.510.331.7746.83.71.1.325.5*

Personal life

Dybantsa's favorite athlete is French soccer player Michael Olise.[26][27]

References

  1. ↑ Geagan, Matt; Roche, Dan (November 6, 2024). "Top basketball recruit and Brockton native AJ Dybantsa playing in Boston Wednesday night". CBS Boston. Archived from the original on November 6, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025. Born in Boston and raised in Brockton, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft will enjoy a homecoming on Wednesday night.
  2. ↑ Gasper, Christopher L. (October 31, 2024). "The best Mass. basketball prospect in decades returns home — and it might be your only shot to see him before he makes it big". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2026. Boston-born and Brockton-raised AJ Dybantsa.
  3. 1 2 Divens, Jordan (June 15, 2023). "High school basketball: Top-ranked Class of 2026 prospect A.J. Dybantsa transfers to Prolific Prep". MaxPreps. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ Gasper, Christopher L. (June 8, 2023). "He's 16, the top prospect in his class, and playing for Team USA. How does AJ Dybantsa stay focused amid the hype?". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ Fuller, Ethan (June 15, 2023). "AJ Dybantsa, the nation's top-ranked freshman basketball player, is transferring from St. Sebastian's to Prolific Prep in California". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Shaw, Jamie (July 10, 2023). "Ranking the top ten prospects in high school basketball". On3.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  7. ↑ Parrish, Gary (July 9, 2023). "Peach Jam 2023: AJ Dybantsa impresses as elite Class of 2026 prospect proves worthy of growing hype". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ Harper, Mitch (May 24, 2024). "Nation's No. 1 Basketball Recruit Will Conclude Prep Career At Utah High School". KSL News. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  9. ↑ "A New Standard in Student-Athlete Excellence: Utah Prep Academy Launches Premier Golf and Football Camps". Online Pressroom. March 25, 2025. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Brockton Freshman Ranked #1 NBA Prospect By ESPN – Meet A.J. Dybantsa". WROR. May 15, 2023. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ Cassidy, Rob (May 7, 2023). "Top 2026 AJ Dybansta is taking over games and collecting offers". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ Zagoria (July 14, 2024). "No. 1 2025 prospect AJ Dybantsa to release top schools later this month". Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  13. ↑ Biancardi, Paul (June 28, 2023). "Rising men's college basketball recruits, a new No. 1, more". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ Buhler, Andy (October 11, 2023). "AJ Dybantsa, nation's top basketball prospect, moves up to class of 2025". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  15. ↑ "AJ Dybantsa shares why he choose BYU and why he loves being in Utah". Basketball Network. March 19, 2025. Archived from the original on June 24, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Dybantsa, projected top NBA pick, chooses BYU". ESPN.com. December 10, 2024. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Dybantsa sets BYU freshman scoring record as Cougars cruise". ESPN.com. Contributed by The Associated Press. January 24, 2026. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  18. ↑ Medcalf, Myron (April 23, 2026). "Potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa declares for NBA draft". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  19. ↑ Youngmisuk, Ohm (June 23, 2026). "Wizards opt for BYU's AJ Dybantsa with top pick of NBA draft". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  20. ↑ Finberg, Greg (July 2, 2026). "AJ Dybantsa signs rookie contract worth $66.9 million". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on July 5, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  21. ↑ Lawlor, Christopher (June 12, 2023). "Eight Straight: USA Men's Basketball U16 National Team takes home gold, burying Canada, 118-36, in FIBA Americas final; Cameron Boozer named MVP". Bluestar Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  22. ↑ "AJ Dybantsa 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship profile". FIBA.basketball. Archived from the original on December 6, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  23. ↑ "AJ Dybantsa 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup profile". FIBA.basketball. Archived from the original on September 10, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  24. ↑ "BYU's AJ Dybantsa named MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup". Universe.byu.edu. Archived from the original on March 8, 2026. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  25. ↑ "AJ Dybantsa 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup profile". FIBA.basketball. Archived from the original on October 8, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  26. ↑ "No. 1 vibes all around for AJ Dybantsa". Sports Illustrated on Instagram. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  27. ↑ Pavon, Josue; read, ClutchPoints·2 min (June 27, 2026). "Wizards' AJ Dybantsa reveals favorite athlete amid World Cup". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved August 29, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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