No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa’s father Ace credits Black history month for choosing February to announce his commitment

AJ Dybantsa is the top recruit in the 2025 high school talent pool and the front-runner to have his name called in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is aligned to attend Utah Prep for his senior year after ranking as the fourth-best scorer in the EYBL multi-state season stretch.

According to Brendan Marks’ conversation with Dybantsa's father Ace, AJ will release his list of preferred colleges and visiting schedule after his ongoing Peach Jam stint. Moreover, Ace revealed that his son will declare his commitment in February to honor Black History Month.

AJ Dybantsa is part of California’s Oakland Leaders in the Peach Jam, who are leading the tourney with a flawless 5-0 record. He is one of the most consistent scorers (third-best) in the competition, averaging 22.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Dybantsa’s best game came against the PSA Cardinals where he posted 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. The only missing piece in his offensive game has been the long-range. Despite a 52.5% clip on high-volume attempts, AJ Dybantsa has only found the net on three three-pointers throughout Peach Jam (20%).

It could be an essential aspect in Oakland's championship run as they will not play the second-best team from Group B.

Top programs that could acquire AJ Dybantsa

When he was playing for the Prolific Prep, Dybantsa was highly favored to commit to the native USC Trojans and Eric Musselman. However, that has now changed to BYU due to his siding with Utah Prep. And the Cougars are heavily involved in his recruitment.

AJ Dybantsa has more than 30 offers at the moment from top schools like Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, UConn, Kentucky Duke and others.

One of the frontrunners is the Wildcats due to the first-year coach Mark Pope and assistant coach Jason Hart’s consistent communication with his father. Bruce Pearl also remains a top contender as Auburn is one of the two schools the five-star prospect has visited yet.

Moreover, almost every school is currently offering him the NIL benefits. However, the increasing impact of NIL deals could play a monumental role in garnering Dybantsa's commitment.