AJ Dybantsa is closer to Cooper Flagg than Dylan Harper, college basketball analyst claims
Consensus Class of 2025 No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa made his college commitment announcement on ESPN's "First Take" back on Dec. 11. He will be playing for the BYU Cougars next season.
Dybantsa was present during the team's 95-67 victory over Fresno State last Wednesday and was cheered on by the crowd.
With all of the hype surrounding the Utah Prep senior, some have claimed that he could already be on the same level as the freshmen standouts in college basketball this season.
In an episode of the Field of 68: After Dark's "DTF Podcast" released on Tuesday, the panel debated whether Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper would be the top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. However, host Rob Dauster added Dybantsa to the conversation.
"If I'm picking, it's Cooper (Flagg), it is what it is. If AJ Dybantsa was in this draft class, it would be a different conversation. Those guys are a lot closer," Dauster shared. (1:55)
Standing 6-foot-9 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, Dybantsa has similar measurables to Flagg.
But while Dauster is high on Dybantsa, the analyst is still very much a fan of Harper even if he claims the BYU commit is closer to Cooper Flagg.
"But, Dylan's going to be an All-Star caliber player for a long time. The crazy thing about him is he makes the difficult look really easy and that's kind of where his intrigue is. I think he's super talented. He's a top five pick," Dauster re-asserted. (2:05)
Rob Dauster has Cooper Flagg over Dylan Harper to go No. 1 in NBA Draft
When asked about who specifically he would take between Flagg and Harper as the top pick in the NBA Draft, Dauster made it clear that he is all-in with the Duke sensation.
"Cooper Flagg, because of the measurables on his ability to cover ground is just different," he expressed. (1:06)
When asked by his co-host whether it was even a conversation that Harper wasn't No. 1, Dauster said it would be depending on who would get the top pick.
Dylan Harper is having a strong start to his freshman season at Rutgers. He is averaging 23.5 points on 52% shooting, with 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. By comparison, Flagg is averaging 15.9 points on a slightly disappointing 43% shooting with 9.0 rebounds.