'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 player in the 2025 class, praised Duke star Cooper Flagg, the top recruit in the 2024 class. In an interview with NESN on Tuesday, Dybantsa discussed various topics, including his decision to join BYU.
Trending
The interviewer asked Dybantsa about the developments he had seen in Flagg's game.
Dybantsa said:
"He got way better over one year because if you watched Coop last year, he had a lot of guys on his team, so let's just say he didn't need to do a lot, right? And now, with the ball in his hands, it's getting scary because he's coming off pick and rolls, passing and playing defense. (8:07)
Dybantsa also talked about top players coming from New England. He said:
"Yeah I said, it's the grit; it's ultimately, I mean, the whole East Coast from Maine to Florida has got that grit. Obviously, New England's doubted, but we have guys like Patrick Ewing, Shabazz Napier, we had Terrence Clarke. We had guys, so I mean, us getting doubted, I think that just makes us over the top." (7:35)
Dybantsa, who will miss the 2025 All-American Iverson Classic because of the dates clashing with his BYU enrollment, seems excited to join the Cougars. The X page of BYU Basketball shared a quote by CBS analyst Tim Doyle, which was quote-tweeted by Dybantsa with a one-word reaction.
What do basketball analysts say about AJ Dybantsa's future team?
The No. 6 Cougars will face No. 2 Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. The Cougars' Instagram page shared what some analysts said about the team's performance in March Madness.
"It feels like the beginning of something special for BYU," CBS Sports' Adam Lefkoe said.
"They won today because they were the tougher team. It was really impressive," CBS Sports' Seth Davis said. "Kevin Young can coach, y'all."
Analyst Sean Paul added: "That was a truly elite defense that BYU just made look pedestrian."
How far will the Cougars go in the postseason?
