Tag: AJ Dybantsa

Auburn target AJ Dybansta moves up commitment timeline

The Auburn target recently told ESPN he expects his decision to come before the calendar turns to 2025.

The No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2025 class has reportedly moved up his decision timeline after seeing the first week-plus of the college basketball season unfold.

[autotag]AJ Dybansta[/autotag], widely considered one of the best high school prospects in the past decade, recently told ESPN he expects his decision to come sometime in December.

“We are ahead of where we thought we would be. If I know where I want to go, why wait? It’s probably going to be in December. I feel I will be ready by then,” Dybantsa said in an interview with ESPN.

The 6-9 wing forward is currently projected to stay in his home state of Utah, joining BYU. However, Auburn is among six other schools, including SEC rival Alabama and possible Maui Invitational opponent North Carolina, on Dybantsa’s radar.

The Hurricane, Utah native last visited the Plains on March 2. Although the consensus top recruit in the 2025 cycle has made trips to BYU, Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, and Kansas State more recently, Auburn remains in the mix because of the lack of front-court options going into next season. The 17-year-old’s most direct path to big minutes could be with Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. Dybansta’s decision may ultimately come down to which school he feels will help him develop his play style the best.

Speaking further with ESPN, the projected NBA lottery pick said he and his family are keeping a close eye on the way his prospective schools are coached.

“We are observing how the coaches manage their teams, how they react when they have a lead or are behind, how they run their offense, and whether their overall play style matches what they’ve communicated to us,” Dybantsa said.

If Dybansta were to commit to the Tigers, he’d join recently committed guard Kaden Magwood and four-star slasher [autotag]Simon Walker[/autotag] as the foundation of next season’s class.

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Surprise program receives crystal ball prediction for top overall recruit

BYU is reportedly the favorites for this top recruit.

The recruitment for top overall prospect AJ Dybantsa could be coming to an end sooner rather than later. With rumors that Dybantsa is getting set to make a decision, there’s a hint in his recruitment that is not great news for North Carolina. 

On Wednesday, 247Sports recruiting analyst Travis Branham made his crystal ball prediction for Dybantsa. And it’s not to North Carolina.

Instead, Branham made his pick for the in-state program BYU.

Now, it might seem surprising that BYU got this crystal ball pick but the Cougars have been the reported leader in this recruitment for some time now by reporters. With NIL being a factor in recruitments, it does open the door for a program like BYU to get a top recruit like this situation.

Branham is the only prediction right now for Dybantsa, and it is with a confidence of six. As we’ve mentioned before, crystal ball predictions aren’t a guarantee but with it coming from a national analyst it does show where the recruitment is leaning.

For North Carolina, that’s bad news. The Tar Heels have been in pursuit of Dybantsa, hoping to land the top recruit for their 2025 class which currently has one player committed.

UNC has not stopped recruiting him and likely won’t until he makes his decision but this does show that they are behind at least one time in this recruitment. Can they make up some ground? They better hurry because it feels like time is running out.

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Auburn remains in the mix for No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa

As the recruiting race continues on for some of the nation’s top basketball prospects, Auburn is in the mix for No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa

As the 2024-25 college basketball season approaches, numerous teams are searching for ways to make their mark in the early going. That includes Auburn and head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag], who look to bounce back after a first round exit to Yale in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

One of those ways that the Tigers want to do that with is in recruiting, trying to prepare for the replacement of the majority roster after this year. They could be on the right track should they land a commitment from the nation’s top recruit in the class of 2025, [autotag]AJ Dybantsa[/autotag].

Dybantsa is currently considering six institutions. Outside of Auburn, the likes of Kansas State, Kansas, Alabama, North Carolina and BYU are competing for the young phenom.

The forward from Utah Prep School has taken official visits to all six schools, and now the nation awaits his massive commitment in February.

According to Joe Tipton at On3, he labels BYU as the team to beat in this race, favoring the Cougars to keep him in state and improve on their success.

The Tigers currently hold one commitment in the class of 2025 in three-star Simon Walker, but hope to make a giant push and land one of the nation’s best in the coming months.

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Utah Jazz ownership offers to help BYU land nation’s No. 1 prospect

AJ Dybantsa could command over $4M in NIL money, and the Utah Jazz ownership could help the BYU Cougars land the No. 1 overall prospect.

The BYU Cougars are one of seven teams reportedly still in the running for AJ Dybantsa, the top high school prospect in the country and a player with legitimate superstar potential. But it sounds like landing the Utah Prep star is going to cost a pretty penny…or slightly more.

Dybantsa is expected to land an NIL package over $3 million, and a source close to the BYU program told Pete Nakos that the Cougars are prepared to pay $4-4.5M to land the 6’9 wing, with financial backing coming from Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and executive and former BYU standout Danny Ainge.

Dybantsa wrapped up an official visit at BYU on Oct. 11, his fifth OV in the last six weeks. Previous visits included Kansas State, Kansas, North Carolina, and Alabama. Auburn and Baylor are the two other schools in Dybantsa’s top seven.

While Dybantsa’s father indicated NIL is not a driving factor in his son’s recruitment, the allure of staying in Utah and playing in the Big 12, and potentially teaming up with current teammate and four-star point guard prospect JJ Mandaquit, could lead to a seismic shift in the college basketball landscape.

Ever since former Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young took over for Mark Pope at BYU this offseason, the Cougars have gone to work bringing high profile talent to Provo. Russian guard and incoming freshman Egor Demin is considered a one-and-done talent, while Purdue decommit Kanon Catchings has that potential as well.

It appears Young has the green light to pursue anyone and everyone he can convince to join his program, no matter the cost. When NBA ownership groups are in your pocket, in this day and age, just about anything is possible on the hardwood.

College basketball analyst hints at HUGE NIL price for top UNC target

AJ Dybantsa’s NIL asking price is rumored to be in the millions per Jeff Goodman.

Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels are still building their 2025 recruiting class after their first commitment from Derek Dixon a few weeks back. Davis and his staff have established their big board and on top of that board is AJ Dybantsa.

The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class recently visited North Carolina and while his recruitment has been pretty quiet overall, the Tar Heels are thought to be in a good spot for him.

However, it could cost them in the form of NIL.

The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman discussed Dybantsa and how much he’s heard the NIL price tag is for the recruit. And it’s pretty expensive.

“He’s gonna get a ton of money. The numbers I’ve heard are numbers I never thought I’d hear,” Goodman said. “Somewhere in the $7-9 million range is what I’m hearing right now. That number is gonna be HEFTY”

You can watch Goodman discuss Dybantsa in the clip below:

Now, it’s not really shocking that there is a high number for NIL especially for a top player, that’s just the reality of college basketball in today’s game.

But can North Carolina afford it? That’s going to be the big question in the recruitment for Dybantsa but if they truly are one of the top teams in the running, they will make it work.

Dybantsa is getting set for another visit this weekend as he’s heading to BYU, another program that is considered to be a favorite at the moment.

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Class of 2025’s top-ranked player highlights recent visit to Chapel Hill

The AJ Dybantsa sweepstakes are on, but the Class of 2025’s top-ranked prospect’s recent visit to Chapel Hill could end that chase.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have shown the ability to land plenty of high-profile basketball recruits in the past, but none with the hype that AJ Dybantsa has.

Dybantsa, the Class of 2025’s top-ranked player, has UNC in his Final 7. He is a 6’9″ forward at Utah Prep who, with his length and size, has the flexibility to play 1-5. With RJ Davis running out of eligibility after this season, plus the possibility of Ian Jackson and Drake Powell leaving too, the need to land Dybantsa is even more crucial.

Good news, Tar Heel Nation: Dybantsa visited Chapel Hill over the weekend – and he had a good time.

“It was great,” Dybantsa told InsideCarolina’s Eric Bossi. “I mean, most of these towns are good college towns, but coach Hubert Davis and the whole staff was very family-oriented. It was more of the same with them talking about how they want a relationship and (bond with me). We could have a sit-down talk about what he thinks I bring to the table and what could happen if come (to North Carolina). He was going down the history of the school and he was saying that he hopes to carry that same legacy of the legendary coaches that came before. Since he was an assistant for those coaches, he thinks he’s going to do a pretty good job of getting the guys ready.”

North Carolina is competing for Dybantsa’s attention with BYU, Baylor, Alabama, Kansas, Kansas State and Auburn.

Will last weekend’s visit be enough to convince Dybantsa he should don the Carolina Blue?

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AJ Dybantsa visit includes picture alongside an all-time UNC basketball great

Armando Bacot did his part on Saturday to help land an AJ Dybantsa commitment.

This weekend is a super-important one for the North Carolina Tar Heels’ men’s basketball program, as they host the Class of 2025’s top-ranked recruit in AJ Dybantsa.

UNC already has 14 offers extended to Class of 2025 recruits, including eight 5-stars. We’ve seen a couple other high-profile recruits commit already, most notably former North Carolina target Jasper Johnson going to Kentucky, but the Tar Heels have yet to land anyone.

As you can imagine, UNC isn’t the only school after Dybantsa. Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas and Kansas State are all also vying for Dybantsa’s attention.

If North Carolina wants to truly capture Dybantsa’s attention, it’ll have to pull out the biggest stops.

One of those stops includes a picture earlier Saturday with Armando Bacot, who is the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles. Bacot screams everything it means to be a Tar Heel, playing in Chapel from 2020-2024 and nearly helping UNC capture a seventh NCAA Championship in 2022.

https://twitter.com/ebosshoops/status/1837508919637258293?s=46

Bacot signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month, meaning he can either play in the NBA or in the G-League.

Dybantsa currently plays his high school ball at Utah Prep. Will Saturday’s visit be enough to convince him to play his college ball in Chapel Hill?

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UNC basketball preparing for BIG official visit this weekend

The North Carolina Tar Heels are welcoming AJ Dybantsa to town for a historic basketball recruiting visit Friday. Can UNC land a commitment?

The AJ Dybantsa sweepstakes are alive and well in Chapel Hill, as the North Carolina Tar Heels are one of seven lucky programs vying for a commitment from the Class of 2025’s top-ranked recruit.

And this weekend, the Tar Heels have the chance to impress the talented recruit.

Dybantsa will be visiting Chapel Hill for an official visit this weekend, starting on Friday. It’s one of a few visits set for Dybantsa this fall and it could be an impactful one.

This isn’t just any visit. Not only does Dybantsa coming to North Carolina give Hubert Davis a chance to earn his greatest recruiting victory, but Dybantsa is also the first top overall recruit to visit the Tar Heels since Andrew Wiggins in 2013.

Let’s see what Dybantsa, the 6’9″ wing who averaged nearly 23 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer, has to say about UNC ahead of his official visit.

“I like it a lot – Chapel Hill,” Dybantsa told InsideCarolina’s Sherrell McMillan. “They have a lot of (professional) wings… He (Hubert Davis) was telling me I’ll play the wing role there. I’ll play on-ball and off-ball, I’ll be a two-way player – I’ll be a do-it-all wing.”

There’s no word yet on what Hubert has in store for Dybantsa’s visit, but I bet it’ll include practice time with current players, a tour of every single basketball facility and some time at the UNC-James Madison football game on Saturday afternoon.

Can the Tar Heels, who are competing for Dybantsa with Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas and Kansas State, deliver an unforgettable experience that’ll get Dybantsa to commit before he flies back to Utah?

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Hubert Davis, UNC visit top 2025 basketball recruit

The UNC basketball program made a visit to the top recruit in the 2025 recruiting class.

Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels’ basketball staff has been busy on the recruiting trail this week. With the open recruiting period back, the Tar Heels are visiting prospects in hopes of furthering their relationships with them.

And one prospect they were in to see was the top overall 2025 recruit, A.J. Dybantsa. 

Davis and two assistants were in Utah on Tuesday morning to visit Dybantsa at Hurricane (Utah) Utah Prep. The trio was there to check out Dybantsa ahead of his visit to UNC on September 20th, showing more interest and hoping to improve their standing with the talented recruit.

https://twitter.com/InsideCarolina/status/1833526633548157431

This is an important visit for the Tar Heels in their pursuit of Dybantsa as things could be heating up. Right now, some believe that BYU is the favorites for him at the moment.

However, with blue blood programs involved anything could happen in this recruitment that could favor the Tar Heels. Dybantsa also visited Kansas recently as the Jayhawks are trying to make a push as well.

Dybantsa has visits to North Carolina (Sept. 20), Alabama (Sept. 27), Baylor (Oct. 4), and BYU (Oct. 11) upcoming as his recruitment picks up.

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UNC basketball recruiting target visits blue blood program

Did last weekend’s visit sway top UNC target AJ Dybantsa away from Chapel Hill?

As the North Carolina Tar Heels are busy preparing for the upcoming college basketball season, they’re also dialing in on some top  class of 2025 recruits.

UNC currently has 14 outstanding offers to Class of 2025 players, including eight 5-stars. North Carolina is hoping to receive a commits from several of those guys, as its roster will likely look very different after the coming season, including the expected departure of 2024 5-stars Drake Powell and Ian Jackson.

One of those eight 2025 5-stars the Tar Heels are closely monitoring is AJ Dybantsa, the class’ top-ranked player.

While Dybantsa earlier included UNC amongst his seven finalists, one of those finalists – Kansas – received a visit from Dybantsa over the weekend.

Check out what Dybantsa’s dad, Ace, said about their visit to Lawrence.

“Bill Self is a winner,” Ace Dybantsa, AJ’s father, previously told ZAGSBLOG. “Nothing else to say. I like his system. I spoke to coach [Kurtis] Townsend. I spoke to coach Self. And I like what they were saying. So I agreed to give them a shot.”

The Jayhawks gave Dybantsa quite the welcome, putting his name and hometown on a digital board inside Allen Fieldhouse:

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1832496721684758626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1832496721684758626%7Ctwgr%5E50600fbc2f9a5777fd7d9ea8fcda1ceb5f0547cc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zagsblog.com%2F2024%2F09%2F07%2Faj-dybantsa-no-1-prospect-in-2025-visits-kansas%2F

According to Dybantsa’s 247Sports Recruiting Profile, he is scheduled to visit North Carolina next Friday, September 20. Dybantsa, who plays his high school ball for Utah Prep, is listed as a 6’9″ small forward.

With recent strikeouts on highly-touted recruits, including Jasper Johnson (committed to Kentucky), the Tar Heels adding Dybantsa to the 2025 roster would be a huge get.

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