AJ Dybantsa pulled off a Stephen Curry following his explosive scoring performance in the BYU Cougars' loss to the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.
Dybantsa was going through the freshman campaign of his collegiate career. He stands out as one of the best young players in the country, garnering high projections as a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft if he decides to declare for the pros.
In 40 minutes of action, Dybantsa filled up the stat sheet against Texas' defense. He finished with a stat line of 35 points, 10 rebounds and one assist. He shot 11-of-25 from the field, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. His scoring efforts allowed him to match Curry when the latter represented Davidson during his memorable collegiate career, per ESPN Insights.
“AJ Dybantsa is the first freshman with 30 points in his NCAA tournament debut since Stephen Curry in 2007 against Maryland (30 points),” the post read.
AJ Dybantsa is the first freshman with 30 points in his NCAA tournament debut since Stephen Curry in 2007 against Maryland (30 points). pic.twitter.com/Ip2lAhUX6j
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 20, 2026
How AJ Dybantsa, BYU played against Texas
Despite AJ Dybantsa's historic efforts, it wasn't enough as BYU suffered a 79-71 loss to Texas in the West Region of March Madness. They didn't have enough offensive firepower and inside defense to keep up with the Longhorns throughout the course of the game.
Two players scored in double-digits for BYU in the loss, including Dybantsa. Robert Wright III came next as the other double-digit scorer with 14 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals. Kennard Davis Jr. came next with nine points and two rebounds, while Aleksej Kostic provided eight points and a steal.
BYU finished the season with a 23-12 overall record, having gone 9-9 in its Big 12 matchups. They finished at seventh place in the conference standings, getting to the quarterfinals before losing to Houston.
The Cougars will see if Dybantsa comes back for another year. If not, then they will look forward to his time in the NBA next season.
