AJ Dybantsa

Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr. (born January 29, 2007) is an American high school basketball player for Utah Prep. He is rated as the number one player in the 2025 class after reclassifying from the 2026 class.

AJ Dybantsa

Dybantsa in 2024
No. 3 – Utah Prep Academy
Position	Small forward
Personal information
Born	(2007-01-29) January 29, 2007 (age 18) Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school	Saint Sebastian's (Needham, Massachusetts) Prolific Prep (Napa, California) Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah)
College	BYU (commit)
Career highlights
FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP (2025) McDonald's All-American (2025) 2× Nike Hoop Summit (2024, 2025)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA U19 World Cup 2025 Switzerland Team FIBA U17 World Cup 2024 Turkey Team FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship 2023 Mérida Team

Early life and high school career

Dybantsa grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts and initially attended Saint Sebastian's School. Dybantsa is of Congolese and Jamaican origin. His father grew up in Grigny, France. He has stated that his 8th grade 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 for Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah for the 2024-25 season, and attending school at Utah Prep Academy.^[6][7] Utah Prep Academy was previously RSL Basketball Academy in Herriman. At Utah Prep Academy, Dybantsa will reunite with fellow USA gold medalist^[8] JJ Mandaquit, the nation's seventh-ranked point guard in the 2025 class who is also playing his senior year with the program.^[9]

Recruiting

Dybantsa was named the number one player in the 2026 class by ESPN following his freshman season,^[10] with his first NCAA Division I college offer coming from Boston College.^[11] 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.^[12][13] In July 2023, On3.com named Dybantsa the top high school player in the country regardless of class.^[4]

On October 11, 2023, Dybantsa announced that he had reclassified to the 2025 class.^[14]

On December 10, 2024, Dybantsa announced on First Take that he would be committing to BYU. He became the highest-ranked committed recruit to join BYU in program history.^[15]

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
AJ Dybansta SF	Brockton, MA	Prolific Prep (CA)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	196 lb (89 kg)	Dec 10, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (98)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 1    247Sports: 1    ESPN: 1
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

National team career

Dybantsa won a gold medal while representing the United States at the 2023 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][8][16] The following year, he helped the United States win the title at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey, where he averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists during the competition.^[17] In 2025, Dybantsa was named MVP of the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, after helping the United States win their ninth title at the event.^[18] He averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the tournament.^[19]