By Braedan Shea
@Braedan_Shea
His thunderous, gym-shaking dunks and NBA-range three-pointers – as well as his historic, multi-million-dollar Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals – have already made AJ Dybantsa a household name.
But before he was getting buckets out west, Dybansta’s basketball foundation was laid much closer to Springfield College’s campus.
Born in Boston and raised in Brockton, Mass., Dybansta was already a star by his freshman year at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass. In 2023, he led the Arrows to a 26-2 record and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class A title game while averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks per game on 60.8 percent shooting from the field – including 41 percent on 3-point attempts – Dybantsa was an Independent School League First Team All-Conference selection as well as the 2022-23 Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year.
Dybansta’s standout season cemented him as not only the best player in all of Massachusetts, but also the top recruit in the entire class of 2026. Even after he reclassified from the 2026 class to the 2025 class to kickstart his recruitment process, Dybantsa retained that No. 1 spot, becoming the first to do so from the Bay State since Nerlens Noel in 2012.
Following his tremendous season, Dybansta transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif. He led Prolific to a Grind Session World Championship last March, and later helped Team USA win gold at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in July. Prior to the 2024-25 season, Dybansta transferred to Utah Prep, citing he believed the school had everything to offer.
Dybansta lives and breathes basketball.
“I have no life, all I do is play basketball, I don’t go out at all,” Dybansta told The Field Of 68: After Dark.
That obsession with the game is a huge reason why Dybansta’s game has improved so quickly. It’s not the only reason, however, as he loves a challenge. It’s part of the reason he transferred to such premiere high school basketball programs – he knows that in order to be the best, he has to beat the best.
It was obvious within minutes of the opening tip of the ‘Iolani Classic Championship in Hawaii on Dec. 21, between Dybansta’s Utah Prep and Brewster Academy, why the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025 and projected 2026 No. 1 NBA draft pick was the most sought-after high school boys basketball player before he committed to Brigham Young University on Dec. 10. Dybantsa led off the game winning the jump ball, outreaching a Brewster big and tipped a pass to a streaking teammate who hammered home a 2-0 lead. Two possessions later, Dybantsa pulled up from the left wing, hitting nothing but the net.
Dybantsa plays the game with a pace that is hard to teach. His feel for when to speed up and slow down a game is a skill that has already wowed NBA veterans. “I was impressed by his size and fluidity as a player, his ball handling,” Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant told Andscape. “He got the body type to become a pro in this league for 20 years.” He trusts his teammates and knows when to make the extra pass, but isn’t afraid to shoulder the offense if needed. He can score at all three levels, from rim-punishing dunks to 30-foot threes – and anywhere in between. Dybantsa is always a step ahead in getting to his spots, and is hard to contest with his smooth, high-arcing jumper. Defensively, his quick hands and long wingspan make him a constant threat in passing lanes and on the boards.
Combine all of that with his 6-foot-9, 200-pound frame and over 7-foot wingspan and it is evident why the not-so-small forward is one of the best high school recruits of the past decade.
This season alone, Dybansta and Utah Prep have beaten No. 3 Cameron Boozer and Christopher Columbus High School, as well as Nate Ament, the No. 4 recruit who plays for Virginia’s Highland School.
And the Spalding HoopHall Classic was yet another opportunity for Dybansta to show off his skills – and an opportunity to exact revenge. Last year, Dybansta and Prolific Prep fell 76-71 to Monteverde Academy in a heavyweight slugfest that featured three top players in their respective graduating classes all on the floor at the same time.
While the scoreboard didn’t favor his squad yet again, falling to Monvterde Academy 74-60, Dybantsa showed why he was the nations top prospect, cruising to a 25 point performance.
But getting the chance to play in his home state, most likely for the last time of his high school career, was not an opportunity that Dybansta is going to overlook.
“It was good [to be home],” Dybantsa said. “Some people from my hometown came out, so it was good.”
Photo by Patrick Fergus/The Student