SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — BYU’s AJ Dybantsa has been named one of five finalists for the 2026 Julius Erving Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday morning.
Dybantsa is joined on the list by Florida’s Thomas Haugh, Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic, Tennessee’s Nate Ament and Texas’ Dailyn Swain.
Later this month, the finalists will be presented to the Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committees for the Julius Erving Award are composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 Erving Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five.
The nation’s leading scorer at 25.2 points per game, Dybantsa extended his double figure scoring streak to 32 games on Tuesday evening after scoring a Big 12 Tournament freshman record 40 points in the Cougars 105-91 win over Kansas State. In the win over the Wildcats, Dybantsa became the 10th freshman in NCAA Division I men’s basketball to score 800 points in a single season.
The 6-foot-9 forward is shooting 52.0 percent from the field, 33.8 percent from 3-point range and 75.7 percent from the free throw line in 34.3 minutes per game. He also ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.8/game) and assists (3.9/game).
Dybantsa was also named a finalist for the Lute Olson Award and Kyle Macy Award on Wednesday afternoon.
BYU returns to the court later this evening when they face West Virginia in the second round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.