"Kevin Young flew from Phoenix": BYU commit AJ Dybantsa's dad opens up about the Cougars head coach's involvement in recruiting

In a interview, with TV personality and sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, high school basketball sensation AJ Dybantsa, alongside his dad, Ace Dybantsa, talked about his recent commitment to BYU, which was officially announced last week on Tuesday.

The interview, aired on Wednesday on "The Stephen Smith Show," offered an inside look into their thought process and why the Cougars emerged as the top choice.

Dybantsa attributed the decision to commit to BYU to being influenced by BYU's coaching lineup, which was loaded with NBA experience. He said:

"like I said, you know they've got NBA staff all the way down to the dietician and strength coach and my ultimate goal is to go to the NBA so why not surround myself a year earlier "(24:09 - 24:16)

The conversation also involved AJ's father, who, according to him, played a key role in evaluating BYU's program. When asked how he knew that BYU has what it takes to develop and guide AJ to the next level, Ace explained how BYU's coach, Kelvin Young, played a major role in influencing their decision:

"My wife and I went to Provo back in April during the playoffs. Kevin Young flew from Phoenix, Arizona, to come and say hello to us. He kind of laid out what he wanted to do, so we listened. (24:49 - 25:06)

"He continued to have conversation with us introduce us to his staff. And just like AJ said everything was NBA I'm like okay pay attention to that." (25:07 - 25:23)

AJ's father went on to emphasize that, although he played a major role in guiding AJ's decisions, it was AJ's choice to make at the end of the day:

"I continued to do my recruiting paying attention to Alabama. North Carolina, Kansas, Kansas City at the time and at the end that was his decision I just supported him" (25:17 - 25:29)

AJ, who is currently the No. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the nation, joins BYU as the first five-star commitment in their history. The Cougars, who haven't made it to the Elite Eight in over 40 years, will be hopeful that AJ's commitment will be the start of a turnaround. He will be banking on coach Kelvin Young's guidance as he continues his journey toward his dream of an NBA career.

AJ Dybantsa speaks on what's next after college commitment: Dreams of representing team USA in the 2028 Olympics

During the interview, Dybantsa went on to emphasize his long-term goals. When asked how he feels about the whole recruitment process and what he has learned from it, he said:

"I mean it's just a blessing but it's only one step closer. I mean I told my dad it's a three-step process. This is only step one. The draft will be step two and the Hall of Fame speech is step three." (42:21 - 42:32)

"There'll be more steps. But just the overall goal is the 2028 Olympics" (43:03 - 43:09)

While AJ Dybantsa has his sights set on building a legendary basketball career, he's staying focused on the present and putting in the work for Utah Prep. In just two games this season, he's already averaging an impressive 14 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals per game.