The No. 8 BYU Cougars passed their first test in the 2025-26 college basketball season in large part because of their prized recruit, freshman AJ Dybantsa.
The first-year forward delivered the goods for head coach Kevin Young's team, finishing with 21 points to lead all Cougars scorers in a 71-66 win over the unranked Villanova Wildcats on Monday. He shot 9-for-18 from the floor and made some important plays in the second half to help BYU basketball avoid an upset loss in his first official NCAA game during the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After the game, Young was immediately interviewed on the court by college basketball reporter Andy Katz for his thoughts on Dybantsa.
“I thought he was really good,” Young said. “You know, he came through in the clutch there when we needed him. A couple of those, I thought they forced him into a shot that he and we didn't want. But overall, man, for a freshman in his first game to deliver like that in crunch time was impressive.”
Young is in his second season as head coach of the BYU basketball program, and if the Cougars are to go places this season, as many expect them to, Dybantsa is one player the team is counting on to play a big role in such success.
The Cougars, who reached the Sweet 16 Round and got eliminated by the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2025 edition of the NCAA Tournament, is hoping that Dybantsa will be able to live up to the hype and show them the way to the program's first-ever national championship.
Of course, there's a long way to go and plenty of tests ahead for the Cougars.
After taking down the Wildcats, BYU basketball is scheduled to lock horns with the lowly Holy Cross Crusaders this coming Saturday in the Cougars' season home debut at Marriott Center in Provo.
The Cougars are just 339th in the nation on KenPom's rankings, but a real test will come soon for Dybantsa and company. After a date with the Delaware on Nov. 11, BYU basketball will face off against the formidable Connecticut Huskies at TD Garden in Boston.
