AJ Dybantsa shares his reaction as Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford declares for the 2025 NBA draft

Five-star small forward AJ Dybantsa is just counting the days until he gets to BYU. With March Madness done and the NCAA Tournament down to Florida and Houston, the No. 1-ranked prospect showed that he is following the tourney intently.

After Auburn was eliminated in the Final Four by the Florida Gators on Saturday, Tigers star guard Tahaad Pettiford declared for the NBA draft. Dybantsa shared the news on his Instagram Stories, reacting with an emoji.

AH Dybantsa reacts to Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford announcing for the 2025 NBA draft. (Source: IG/ aj.dybantsa)

Pettiford, who averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists to help lead Auburn, spoke with ESPN on Monday regarding his decision:

"I'm looking for an NBA team that values my skill set and sees my long-term potential, the right fit and organization that values me. I'll sit down with my family and representation and decide whether to stay in the draft.

"We had an amazing year. I couldn't have asked for a better freshman season. We lost in the Final Four, but that doesn't change the year we had."

The Auburn freshman is keeping his options open, though, as he is keeping his college eligibility open should the NBA draft not work out. Once he is evaluated with a draft grade, he will be able to decide if he will continue and head to the NBA or go back to Auburn to improve.

AJ Dybantsa met with favorite player Kevin Durant after Suns vs. Jazz game

On Friday, the Phoenix Suns took on the Utah Jazz, and AJ Dybantsa was there to watch, with the five-star small forward getting front-row seats. Before the game began, he was approached by Kevin Durant, whom Dybantsa has said is his favorite player of all time. The two shared greetings and talked a bit before Durant continued warming up.

In December, when Dybantsa announced his commitment to BYU during ESPN's "First Take," the Utah Prep star revealed that his favorite player is Kevin Durant. However, he said that while he gets some of his game from the Phoenix Suns star, he does not play like his idol.