Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr. (born January 29, 2007) is an American basketball player who currently attends Utah Prep. He is rated as the number one player in the 2025 class after reclassifying from the 2026 class.
 Dybantsa in 2024 | |
| No. 3 – Utah Prep | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 29, 2006 [[]], U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Medals | |
Early life and high school career
editDybantsa grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts and initially attended Saint Sebastian's School. He has stated that his 8th grade teacher religious studies teacher, Mr. Lewin, has been a mentor for him. [1] He was named the Massachusetts Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year following his freshman season after averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.[2] Dybantsa helped lead Saint Sebastian's to the NEPSAC Class A state championship, but lost to Milton Academy 77–76.[1]
Dybantsa transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California at the end of his freshman year, where he teamed up with the second-ranked player in the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes.[2][3] In July 2023, Dybantsa led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring with 25.8 points per game[4] as a member of Expressions Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team from Boston.[5]
Dybantsa will conclude his high school basketball career playing at Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah, where he transferred for the 2024-25 season.[6] Utah Prep was previously RSL Basketball Academy in Herriman. At Utah Prep, AJ will reunite with fellow USA gold medalist[7] JJ Mandaquit, the nation's seventh-ranked point guard in the 2025 class who is also playing his senior year with the program.
Recruiting
editDybantsa was named the number one player in the 2026 class by ESPN following his freshman season,[8] with his first NCAA Division I college offer coming from Boston College.[9] Additional schools that have offered him a scholarship and/or are under consideration include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, UConn, Duke, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Kentucky, North Carolina, Providence, USC, Utah, and Washington.[10][11] In July 2023, On3.com named Dybantsa the top high school player in the country regardless of class.[4]
On October 11, Dybantsa announced that he had reclassified to the 2025 class.[12]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Dybansta SF |
Brockton, MA | Prolific Prep (CA) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | — | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 98
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 1 247Sports: 1 ESPN: 1 | ||||||
Sources: | ||||||
National team
editDybantsa won a gold medal while representing the United States at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico. He scored 12 points in the gold medal game and averaged 13.8 points for the tournament.[4][7]
References
edit- ^ a b Gasper, Christopher L. (June 8, 2023). "He's 16, the top prospect in his class, and playing for Team USA. How does AJ Dybantsa stay focused amid the hype?". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Divens, Jordan (June 15, 2023). "High school basketball: Top-ranked Class of 2026 prospect A.J. Dybantsa transfers to Prolific Prep". MaxPreps. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Fuller, Ethan (June 15, 2023). "AJ Dybantsa, the nation's top-ranked freshman basketball player, is transferring from St. Sebastian's to Prolific Prep in California". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c Shaw, Jamie (July 10, 2023). "Ranking the top ten prospects in high school basketball". On3.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Parrish, Gary (July 9, 2023). "Peach Jam 2023: AJ Dybantsa impresses as elite Class of 2026 prospect proves worthy of growing hype". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Harper, Mitch (May 24, 2024). "Nation's No. 1 Basketball Recruit Will Conclude Prep Career At Utah High School". KSL News.
- ^ a b Lawlor, Christopher (June 12, 2023). "Eight Straight: USA Men's Basketball U16 National Team takes home gold, burying Canada, 118-36, in FIBA Americas final; Cameron Boozer named MVP". Bluestar Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Melissa (May 15, 2023). "Brockton Freshman Ranked #1 NBA Prospect By ESPN – Meet A.J. Dybantsa". WROR. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Cassidy, Rob (May 7, 2023). "Top 2026 AJ Dybansta is taking over games and collecting offers". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Zagoria (July 14, 2024). "No. 1 2025 prospect AJ Dybantsa to release top schools later this month".
- ^ Biancardi, Paul (June 28, 2023). "Rising men's college basketball recruits, a new No. 1, more". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Buhler, Andy (October 11, 2023). "AJ Dybantsa, nation's top basketball prospect, moves up to class of 2025". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.