Dybansta named Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Finalist

ATLANTA, Ga. – BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is one of four finalists for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Friday.

The Naismith Award for men’s college basketball player of the year has been presented annually since 1969. The winner will be announced Sunday, April 5, at the Naismith Awards Brunch presented by Jersey Mike’s during Men’s Final Four at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.

The nation’s leading scorer, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three and 77.4 percent from the free throw line. His 894 points are the third-most scored by a freshman in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history and most since Kevin Durant had 903 in 2007.

The Big 12 Freshman of the Year scored in double figures in all 35 of his games as a Cougar including 28 20-point performances and eight 30-point performances highlighted by a freshman record 43 points in a win over Utah on Jan. 24. He averaged 31.0 points per game in the Big 12 Tournament where he broke Durant’s tournament scoring record with 93 points.  

He recorded the first 30/10/10 triple-double in program history and second only by a Big 12 player in BYU’s win over Eastern Washington on Dec. 22, 2025 finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists.

This year, fans will have a say in determining the winner through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey’s Mike’s. Starting March 27, fans can visit www.naismithfanvote.com to cast their ballot for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy finalists. Voting ends at Noon ET on April 1 and fans are limited to one vote per day. The fan vote will account for 5 percent of the total vote.