AJ
Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsa is the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, selected by the Washington Wizards after one season at BYU. A forward from Brockton, Massachusetts by way of Utah Prep, he led Division I in scoring as a freshman and became the first player in BYU history taken first overall.
Why this athlete matters right now
The first No. 1 overall pick in BYU history
On June 23, 2026, the Washington Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa first overall — the first time a BYU player has ever gone No. 1, clearing Shawn Bradley's No. 2 from 1993. He reached the top of the draft after a single freshman season in Provo, one pick ahead of the Utah Jazz, who took Kansas guard Darryn Peterson at No. 2.
What he did in one season
Dybantsa led all of Division I at 25.5 points per game, added 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and shot 51% from the field across 35 games. His 894 points rank second in BYU single-season history behind Jimmer Fredette, and his 43 against Utah on Jan. 24, 2026 were the most ever scored by a BYU freshman in a game. He is the third consensus AP First Team All-American in program history, joining Danny Ainge and Fredette.
From Brockton to Utah Prep to Provo
Brockton gives him an East Coast identity; Utah Prep, the Hurricane-based program, gave him a season inside the state's basketball pipeline before BYU; and Provo became the stage where those threads met. Utah honored him first — the 2026 Governor's State of Sport Awards named him Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year in April, two months before Washington made it official.
At a glance
Key achievements
- No. 1 overall pick, 2026 NBA Draft (Washington Wizards) — first in BYU history
- 2026 consensus AP First Team All-American (third in BYU history, with Ainge and Fredette)
- 2026 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Julius Erving Award (nation's top small forward)
- Led NCAA Division I in scoring at 25.5 PPG; 894 points, 2nd in BYU single-season history
- 2026 Utah Governor's State of Sport Award — Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year
Official sources
This athlete page stays public because the school, image, and supporting facts can be checked quickly.
BYU Athletics
- ESPN: Wizards opt for BYU's AJ Dybantsa with top pick of NBA draft
- Yahoo Sports: BYU forward AJ Dybantsa selected No. 1 overall by Wizards
- ESPN: Kansas' Peterson lands with Jazz at No. 2 pick in NBA draft
- lawlessrepublic: BYU's highest NBA Draft picks (Shawn Bradley, No. 2, 1993)
- Deseret News: A closer look at AJ Dybantsa's 2025-26 body of work
- Deseret News: Utah Governor's State of Sport Awards winners (2026)
- Utah Sports Commission: State of Sport Awards
- Yahoo Sports: AJ Dybantsa-Utah connection and Jazz owner Ryan Smith
Related coverage
The reporting tied to the athlete
Profiles work best when the reader can move straight into the stories that make the page useful.
AJ Dybantsa Goes No. 1 — and Gives BYU the First Top Pick in Program History
Washington took AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall on June 23, 2026, making the BYU freshman the first Cougar ever drafted first — while the Jazz grabbed Darryn Peterson at No. 2 to put Utah on top of the entire board.
AJ Dybantsa Enters the NBA Draft With BYU Still Attached to the No. 1 Pick Conversation
AJ Dybantsa's 2026 NBA Draft case is now measured and mocked: a BYU freshman scoring season, NBA Combine measurements, a -450 favorite tag at No. 1 to Washington, and the Jazz waiting at No. 2.
Utah College Athletes and NIL in 2026: Who's Earning, How Much, and How the Market Works
AJ Dybantsa's $4.2 million On3 NIL valuation now anchors Utah college sports. This is the statewide picture of Utah NIL in 2026 — the collectives, the state law, the top valuations, and what brands need to know before they cut a check.
AJ Dybantsa Gives BYU Basketball a National Star to Build Around
BYU's freshman forward turned March 2026 into a run of national honors, giving the Cougars a player the country already follows and a reason to matter well beyond Provo.
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