NCAA College Basketball Academy - Source: Getty

AJ Dybantsa drops 1-word message for top 2026 recruit Brandon McCoy Jr amid Shai-Gilgeous Alexander comparisons

Modified Dec 17, 2024 14:45 GMT

No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2026, Brandon McCoy Jr., has been compared to OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and many have noticed. When McCoy posted photos of himself on Instagram on Monday, several people commented, including the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa. The BYU commit also referenced the SGA comparisons.

Plenty of commenters compared Brandon McCoy to SGA, though Dybantsa's comment stood out. It should also be noted that the Utah Prep star has also been likened to SGA several times.

"BGA!" AJ Dybantsa wrote.

AJ Dybantsa comments on Brandon McCoy Jr.'s Instagram post (Source: Instagram/ g0beezy)

There are many things in common between McCoy and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both are point guards who can be shooting threats and playmakers, as well as be large for their positions. SGA is listed at 6-foot-6 while McCoy is listed at 6-foot-5. This means that both of them are larger than average for point guards and play almost the same style of basketball.

Brandon McCoy has been improving steadily and has stayed consistent in his games. He is currently in a rivalry of sorts for the No. 1 position in the Class of 2026 with Notre Dame star Tyran Stokes, as On3 and Rivals regard McCoy as the No. 1, while 247Sports and ESPN consider it to be Stokes.

Duke becoming a favorite to recruit Brandon McCoy Jr.

Being the No. 1 ranked prospect from his class, Brandon McCoy already has several offers for college. These include schools such as UCLA, USC, Oregon and Georgia Tech. However, even though he is still a junior who will not be graduating until 2026, one school is emerging as a clear favorite, and that is the Duke Blue Devils.

For two years straight, Duke has gotten its top priority players, with Cooper Flagg for the Class of 2024 and the Boozer Twins, Cameron and Cayden, for the Class of 2025. For the Class of 2026, the program may also land the vaunted prospect.

On3 predicts that Duke is the likeliest to recruit McCoy, with a 65.1% chance to do so. Meanwhile, USC is in second place at just 1.8%, followed by UCLA in third at 1.6%. However, he has not yet visited some schools officially, and there is still plenty of time from now until next year.