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Game changer
BYU's addition of AJ Dybantsa, the top 2025 prospect and a likely No. 1 NBA Draft pick, signals a significant win for the program -- and cements NIL as the ultimate way to win. Plus: The Big Ten had Tuesday's most entertaining games, North Dakota State had the star of the night, and West Virginia and Loyola Chicago deal with injuries.
Tristan Freeman
December 11, 2024
Good morning! Hope you didn’t go to bed early last night. The second half of the Jimmy V Classic nightcap was a doozy.
1. BYU lands No. 1 prospect AJ Dybantsa
Four programs — Alabama, BYU, Kansas and North Carolina — were in the mix to land 2025’s top prospect, AJ Dybantsa.
But in shock to the recruiting system, the Cougars beat out two Blue Bloods and an SEC powerhouse for the 6-9 prospect (who might’ve made the decision weeks ago).
AJ Dybantsa announces his commitment to BYU and explains his decision 🔥
"I play like a mix of Tracy McGrady and Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]." 👀
— First Take (@FirstTake)
4:00 PM • Dec 10, 2024
Dybantsa is perhaps the most gifted offensive talent since Kevin Durant. He’s the projected No. 1 pick for the 2026 NBA Draft and is now the highest-ranked player to commit to BYU out of high school, beating out fellow 2025 commit, Xavier Staton.
It’s a rare moment for BYU Basketball. A top prospect (per 247sportsComposite) not going to Duke, Kansas, or Kentucky is a rarity, though it’s becoming more common recently. Just six players bucked the trend in the last 15 years, picking different schools.
2015 - Ben Simmons (LSU)
2019 - Anthony Edwards (Georgia)
2020 - Cade Cunningham (OK State)
2021 - Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
2022 - Nick Smith (Arkansas)
2023 - Isaiah Collier (USC)
The results have been mixed. Simmons, Edwards, and Collier missed the NCAA Tournament, and none of the other three made it past the Sweet 16. In the case of Smith and Collier, their campaigns hurt their NBA Draft stocks, falling lower than originally expected.
For Dybantsa, making a deep run in March could be an uphill climb. The Cougars will be tasked with building a roster around him good enough to compete in the Big 12 and nationally. If the reported $5million+ NIL numbers are true, we’ll see how much more funds are available for the rest of the team.
But for now, BYU fans can celebrate making their splash in the Big 12. The Cougars are guaranteed to be one of the top storylines for the 2025-26 season.
2. Arkansas’s incredible second half propels SEC at Jimmy V
We don’t need to spend a ton of time on the early game of Tuesday’s Jimmy V Classic. But the late game? Wow.
