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AJ Dybantsa is the best player in the nation, according to On3's Industry Rankings. The 6-foot-9 small forward is concluding a stellar high school basketball career and is set to play for the BYU Cougars next season.
The McDonald's All-American is also set to feature in the Nike Hoop Summit on Friday, where the top American prospects will play against top international prospects. Before the game, Dybantsa shared a video on Instagram to answer some questions.
He was asked about the craziest comment he has had on social media, to which he talked about scoring 23 points against IMG Academy in eighth grade.
"When I was in eighth grade playing varsity, I had like 23 against IMG and they were like, 'He got wife and kids at the crib," Dybantsa said.
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He also talked about a lesson he has learnt in his high school basketball career.
"Being grateful, I mean I've been to China for basketball, I've been to Hawaii, I've been to Jamaica, I've been to so many places. Just being grateful for the opportunity," Dybantsa said.
Dybantsa was also seen working at McDonald's before the All-American Game last week in Brooklyn. His father, Ace Dybantsa, who also worked at the burger joint before, talked about the reason.
"Just how to give back to the community,” Ace said. “I wanted to show him what it is having a good job. He spent about two hours there, I don’t think he wants to go back there.”
The video was posted by the famous basketball page SportsCenter NEXT.
AJ Dybantsa finishes as second-highest scorer at the McDonald's All-American Game
AJ Dybantsa led the West team to a 105-92 victory over the East, scoring 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. He also had five rebounds and one assist.
He was accompanied by other top prospects, including USC Trojans commit Alijah Arenas, Kansas Jayhawks signee and 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Darryn Peterson, who finished as the highest scorer.
Peterson had 18 points on 50.0% shooting, converting 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. He also had seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the match.
AJ Dybantsa will accompany Utah Prep teammates Xavion Staton and Chamberlain Burgess to play for Kevin Young's team next season.
