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"I kind of just grew 5 inches in three months": BYU signee AJ Dybantsa shares when he realized he could play basketball professionally
BYU signee AJ Dybantsa has revealed the exact moment he decided to try basketball as an option before taking it up professionally. Dybantsa is the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025, but the 6-foot-9 small forward probably would not have played basketball professionally if he had not experienced a growth spurt.
The Utah Small Prep star revealed this in an interview that premiered on the BYUtv Sports Nation YouTube channel on Jan. 14.
“I was like 13 or 14. No, I was like 14. I mean, I kind of just grew five inches in three months, so I was like, OK, maybe I should try,” Dybantsa said at the 00:10:46 mark of the interview when asked about the age he decided to try basketball.
The BYU signee also said his shoe size increased at that time, although his foot has not grown since then.
“I was like six, like two size like 13. I’m a 14. My foot hasn’t grown, so I might be cooked," Dybantsa said.
Dybantsa’s decision to pick up basketball has worked out for him. The Brockton, Massachusetts, native is the top prospect in his high school basketball class, and he is also projected to go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA draft.
Dybantsa still has a long way to go, as some aspects of his games still need refining, which he admitted in the same interview.
“I’m really working on my shot right now,” Dybantsa said, “so by the time I get to BYU, obviously, I’m going to be playing with the farther linebacker, so I mean hopefully that season, I can shoot 40 plus percent, and it’ll just make me higher chances of draft stock and all that.”
AJ Dybantsa set for college career with BYU
Dybantsa’s basketball journey will continue in college at BYU. The small forward will be taking his talents to Provo after choosing the Cougars ahead of Alabama and Kansas State. Dybantsa is entering his final months at Utah Prep and will be looking to link up with the Cougars this summer.
He has been on a run with Utah Prep in recent months. The small forward scored a game-high 25 points in the team's clash against Montverde Academy in their Hoophall Classic game on Sunday. This was after he dropped 41 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one block in a 99-71 win against Western Reserve on Jan. 11.
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