AJ Dybantsa arrived at BYU with the profile of a classic one-and-done prospect, but the freshman star is now publicly leaving the door open to a different path.
In a recent appearance on Deseret Voices with McKay Coppins, Dybantsa said he “might not leave” college after this season, adding that his decision will come after the year ends and noting that his mother wants him to graduate. The episode was promoted by Deseret as the first time Dybantsa had discussed the possibility of bypassing the 2026 NBA draft and staying in Provo longer.
That uncertainty is striking because Dybantsa’s on-court résumé still looks very much like that of a projected No. 1 pick at 25.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game this season while shooting 53.2% from the field.
So the story here is not that Dybantsa has cooled off as a prospect. It is that one of college basketball’s most NBA-ready freshmen is at least willing to say out loud that the usual script may not be automatic. That matters because the modern draft ecosystem rarely allows elite prospects much ambiguity once they reach this level of production and visibility.
For now, his comments should be treated exactly as that: an opening, not a final decision. Dybantsa did not announce that he is staying at BYU. He said he might stay, and framed the choice as something he still has to sort through with family after the season. But even that level of hesitation is notable when it comes from a player widely viewed as one of the very best prospects in the 2026 class.
