"Come to the Celtics": Hoops fans react to BYU signee AJ Dybantsa being ranked No. 1 in his class since the eighth grade

Even after reclassifying up one year, five-star small forward AJ Dybantsa still had the No. 1 ranking, which is a testament to how talented he is. He has been the No. 1-ranked player since middle school, having been ranked the top player of his class continuously from eighth grade.

He was ranked No. 1 overall as a freshman for St. Francis and was still ranked No. 1 overall when he transferred to Prolific Prep as a sophomore. He reclassified to the Class of 2025 after transferring again, this time to Utah Prep and still held the No. 1 spot, unseating Cameron Boozer, who dropped down to No. 2. This dominant high school career has had many fans talking.

"Bro needs to come to the Celtics," said one commenter, with Dybantsa being originally from Brockton, which is near Boston.

"I'm so glad we got him. I'm sad it's only for a year though," one BYU fan pointed out.

"That’s tough 🔥," said another commenter.

However, some were not impressed with Dybantsa, with many pointing out that he reclassified from a different year.

"He’s a reclass that’s kinda like cheating or literally cheating depending on how you feel about it," said one person.

"Darryn Peterson is better," said another commenter.

"Uhhhh, wasn’t cooper flagg number 1 before he reclassified and if not it just shows rankings are a joke 😂 cuz he nowhere near cooper," another critic noted.

Fans reacting to AJ Dybantsa being the No. 1-ranked prospect since 8th grade (SourceL IG/ ballertv)

AJ Dybantsa has already signed with BYU, which means that he is staying in Utah after graduating from Utah Prep. Much like last year's No. 1-ranked prospect, Cooper Flagg, Dybantsa is also projected by several experts to be a one-and-done and enter the NBA Draft after just one year. He is also projected to be the No. 1 pick.

AJ Dybantsa's achievements for all three years of his high school career

Because he reclassified up one year, AJ Dybantsa is only in high school for three years. Nonetheless, he still had a stellar three years.

In his freshman year, he played for his hometown school of St. Sebastian, and led the team to a 26-2 record and a state title, with an average of 19.1 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

Once he transferred to Prolific Prep, he had to share the spotlight with the No. 2 in his class, Tyran Stokes. But he still averaged 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, with Prolific Prep being the No. 4 team in the country.

For his senior year, he averaged 21.5 points, 13 rebounds and three assists per game at Utah Prep. He made the McDonald's All-American Game and was invited to the Jordan Brand Classic on April 18.