AJ Dybantsa of BYU made history with a 40-point performance in the Big 12 tournament, leading his team to a 105-91 victory over Kansas State. The freshman’s performance set a new Big 12 tournament scoring record for a freshman.
Dybantsa’s Record-Breaking Performance
Dybantsa’s 40 points surpassed the previous freshman record of 37, set by Kevin Durant in 2007. He also contributed nine rebounds and six assists to the Cougars’ win. Dybantsa made 15 field goals, a Big 12 tournament record.
The BYU freshman’s performance included several other highlights:
- Second-most points in a Big 12 tournament game.
- Fourth Division I freshman in the past 30 seasons with 40 points in a conference tournament game.
- Sixth 35-point game this season, breaking a tie for most in Big 12 history.
- Most “points created” in a game in Big 12 tournament history.
- First player with 35 points and five assists in a Big 12 tournament game.
BYU coach Kevin Young praised Dybantsa’s complete skill set, calling him the most skilled player in college basketball. Dybantsa nearly matched his career high of 43 points.
BYU’s Tournament Outlook
Dybantsa said his main goal is to get to a championship. BYU entered the tournament as the No. 10 seed after late-season struggles. A season-ending knee injury to Richie Saunders impacted the Cougars, contributing to their slide in seeding.
Dybantsa had 21 points by halftime, but the Cougars led only 50-49. A turnover leading to Dybantsa’s buzzer-beating dunk secured the lead.
Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson intend to be the first three players selected in the NBA draft this summer. Dybantsa wants to prove he deserves to be No. 1 during the postseason.
Young said it is something they’ve been really on their guys about all year.