BYU’s AJ Dybantsa made a statement at the Big 12 tournament, scoring 40 points and adding nine rebounds and six assists.
His performance helped his team, the No. 10-seeded Cougars, secure a 105-91 victory over No. 15 seed Kansas State in the first round. Dybantsa’s aim is to prove he deserves to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this summer.
Dybantsa Breaks Freshman Scoring Record
Dybantsa’s 40 points set a new Big 12 tournament scoring record for a freshman. He surpassed the previous mark of 37 points set by Kevin Durant in 2007.
“Today I was just trying to focus on a win,” Dybantsa said. “Whatever it took to just get the win.”
His performance included:
- Scoring the second-most points in a Big 12 tournament game
- Making 15 field goals, a Big 12 tournament record
- Becoming the fourth Division I freshman in the past 30 seasons with 40 points in a conference tournament game.
He also secured his sixth 35-point game this season, breaking a tie with Oklahoma’s Trae Young and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley for the most in Big 12 history. Dybantsa scored or assisted on 54 points, setting a new record for “points created” in a Big 12 tournament game. He became the first player with 35 points and five assists in a Big 12 tournament game.
Coach Young’s Assessment
BYU coach Kevin Young praised Dybantsa’s complete skillset. “What he was doing was impressive because I thought he was scoring every way possible,” Young said. “I think it was probably one of his most complete games — outside of the lob he threw short to Khadim [Mboup] at the end. But I thought it was just a full display of his skill set. I think he’s the most skilled player in college basketball.”
Dybantsa nearly matched his career high of 43 points, which he set in a win over Utah in January.
The Road Ahead
Dybantsa stated his main goal is to win a championship. “The main goal is to get to a championship,” Dybantsa said. “If I have to score 43, I’ll try to do that, but I’m not trying for a record.”
BYU’s seeding in the tournament was impacted by late-season struggles and an injury to Richie Saunders. Those struggles resulted in the Cougars dropping to 10th for the tournament.
Dybantsa had 21 points by halftime, with the Cougars leading 50-49. Robert Wright III passed up an open dunk to give Dybantsa an easy basket before the buzzer.
Dybantsa wants to prove during the postseason that he deserves to be No. 1.