It’s no strange occurrence that a top ranked recruit in the country wants to play on the biggest stage the sport has to offer, but that isn’t what AJ Dybantsa is thinking when it comes to the Duke basketball program.
The Blue Devils, a pinnacle team in college basketball, were in on the 5-star prospect but not as heavy as other schools and thus did not make his Top-4 finalists.
Instead, he committed to BYU over North Carolina, Alabama, and Kansas in a stunning shift in the landscape of college basketball due to Name, Image, and Likeness.
During his commitment on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith asked Dybantsa why he would commit to BYU over some of the other blue blood programs he was considering since he wouldn’t have the chance to play in marquee games, despite the Cougars being a member of the Big 12 Conference.
“Who said I can’t play Duke at BYU,” Dybantsa said to Smith when he explained he thought he was going to commit to North Carolina.
“Who said I can’t play Duke at BYU”
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) December 10, 2024
Legendary stuff from AJ Dybantsa 😭 pic.twitter.com/PPPv6BSwg8
Ironically, the Tar Heels pitched Dybantsa using examples of Zion Williamson at Duke on how he could elevate his personal brand.
A matchup next year between Duke and BYU would renew a rivalry that has been built on the high school and AAU circuits with Dybantsa, who reclassified into the 2025 recruiting class, and Cameron Boozer, a Duke signee who was bumped from the top individual ranking because of Dybantsa.
Duke has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports, while BYU sits at No. 11. However, Dybantsa is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It should be noted that the Blue Devils have not confirmed any dates on its non-conference schedule for next season with the exception of a matchup against Kansas in the Champions Classic as well as the ACC vs. SEC Challenge.
Duke and BYU have only met twice in 1952 and in the 1992 Maui Invitational.