'%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)
No. 1 ranked BYU signee AJ Dybantsa delivered a brilliant performance at the Jordan Brand Classic on Friday, scoring a team-high 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists. AJ's performance was, however, not only attractive on the stats sheets, but it also passed the eye test, as he delivered several highlight-worthy moments.
One such moment came in the first half of the game when AJ pulled off an impressive nutmeg against No. 3 ranked Duke signee Cameron Boozer and then followed it up with a bucket. The highlight in question was shared on Saturday by NBA Future Starts Now.
Trending
AJ Dybantsa found himself in a one-on-one situation with Boozer and went for a bold move, sending the ball right through Boozer's legs and pulling off a slick nutmeg successfully. With a laser-quick movement, he followed it up by driving to the basket and finishing with a smooth underhand, even as Boozer and another defender scrambled to contest.
At that point in the game, AJ's two-point goal took his team Flight ahead with a 39-33 scoreline. Team Flight ended up winning the first half by 70-51. However, they bottled the lead in the second half, as Cameron Boozer and the boy's Air team came back to win the game by 141-124. Cameron, however, only contributed four points to the victory, as well as two rebounds and three assists.
The Jordan Brand Classic game appears to be AJ Dybantsa's last high school basketball game. Since playing his final game with Utah Prep, he's featured in a series of all-star games, including the McDonald's All-American Game, the Nike Hoops Summit, and now the Jordan Brand Classic.
AJ Dybantsa is now set for college basketball with BYU next season. He will be joinig the Cougars alongside four-star prospects Xavion Staton, his teamate at Utah prep and Chamberlin Burgess.
"He's just super simple, super efficient," No. 1 ranked BYU signee AJ Dybantsa on his Idol Kelvin Durant
One of the basketball stars that AJ Dybantsa admires the most is 15X NBA all-star Kevin Durant, and he's expressed his admiration repeatedly. Speaking on the NBA-Nike Air Time interview ahead of the Nike Hoops Summit, AJ once again expressed his admiration for the 2X NBA Champion. When asked what drew him to KD, he said the following:
"He's super simple, super efficient, gets to his spots quick, doesn't do too much, doesn't take him long to do what he needs to do. His mindset on the court is strictly basketball and just sticks to the main goal." (0:32 - 0:45)
In the video, which was aired on the NBA YouTube channel on Thursday, AJ and the host, former Houston Rockets Coach Stephen Silas, also watched a highlight video of KD in action and reviewed three of KD's favorite skill moves as shown in the video. When asked which of the three skills was his go-to move, AJ Dybantsa said:
"I mean, I do all three. I do a lot of hesi-crosses, got to live in transition. I do a lot of hesi-crosses and hesi-in-and-outs, but when I'm feeling it, I go to my hesi-pull. That's like one of my go to moves, like the mid-post out of the three." (8:10 -8:24)
Next season, AJ Dybantsa will be representing BYU in the Big 12 Conference, the same conference Kevin Durant played in as a college athlete with the Texas Longhorns.
