BYU Basketball’s AJ Dybantsa Reveals Summer League Vision
It was a sweltering Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, but inside the Thomas & Mack Center, the arena pulsed with the energy of dreams in motion. Among the scattered scouts, coaches, and basketball purists watching the NBA Summer League action, one young man sat noticeably focused—BYU basketball’s incoming freshman phenom, AJ Dybantsa.
Towering at 6-foot-8 with the frame of a future pro and the poise of a seasoned vet, Dybantsa wasn’t there for a photo op. He wasn’t live-tweeting games or making social media rounds. He was watching—intently. And as the game between the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors wound down, he scribbled something in a leather-bound notebook he keeps close at all times: a simple line that read, “Summer League 2026. My turn.”
The Boston-native-turned-Cougar has always been more than just highlight reels and verticals. Ranked as one of the top wings in his class, Dybantsa committed to BYU over a host of blue-blood programs, citing the school’s culture, coaching development, and academic integrity. But on this particular day, his thoughts weren’t on campus life in Provo—they were on the court in front of him, and the players who stood just one level above.
“You watch these guys and you see what it takes,” Dybantsa told reporters after the game. “It’s not just talent—it’s how you move without the ball, how you communicate on defense, how you read angles. That’s the level I’m working toward.”
While the Summer League is often seen as a proving ground for fringe players, undrafted rookies, and second-year pros, for Dybantsa, it’s a glimpse of what’s coming—and what he’s chasing. His vision isn’t some far-off dream. It’s scheduled, mapped, and backed by tireless hours in the gym.
Over the summer, Dybantsa has been training with NBA skills coach Ryan Saunders in Los Angeles, refining his mid-range game and working on handling against pressure defense. His three-point consistency, once a knock, is now a strength; in recent scrimmages, he’s been hitting nearly 45% from deep.
BYU head coach Kevin Young, himself fresh off a stint as a Phoenix Suns assistant, sees Dybantsa as a future pro. “He’s got an NBA mindset already. He doesn’t just want to play at the next level—he studies it, absorbs it, and works to be ready for it.”
That preparation will be on full display come November when the Cougars open their season. But for Dybantsa, the Summer League gave him a clearer picture—not of what he wants, but how to get there.
“Two summers from now,” he said, nodding toward the court, “I want to be the guy some kid is watching, thinking, ‘That’s the level I need to reach.’”
And knowing AJ Dybantsa, that moment may come sooner than anyone expects.
