IRVING, Texas – BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was named to the Big 12 Starting Five, the league announced on Monday afternoon.
Dybantsa is joined on the inaugural Big 12 Starting Five by Arizona’s Koa Peat, Cincinnati’s Baba Miller, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson.
The 6-foot-9 forward had a strong start to his collegiate career averaging 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in wins over Villanova and Holy Cross. He also shot 57.1 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and 50.0 percent from the free throw line.
Dybantsa scored a team-high 21 points in his collegiate debut in a 71-66 victory over the Wildcats. With his performance, he became the fifth freshman in program history with 20-plus in their debut and first since TJ Haws. He also had six rebounds, two of those on the offensive glass, and three assists.
Who does AJ Dybantsa's game remind you of? 🤔
— ESPN (@espn) November 9, 2025
The No. 1 SC NEXT 100 prospect with 17 PTS on 7-10 FG in BYU's second win of the season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hcWxt5ql29
The native of Brockton, Mass. followed that up with a 17-point, 8-rebound performance in a 45-point victory over Holy Cross in his first game at the Marriott Center. He went 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe as the Cougars shot 61.9 percent from the field.
Dybantsa and the Cougars return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 11, when they host Delaware at the Marriott Center. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.