BYU’s men’s basketball NCAA Tournament run came to an abrupt end after an early loss to the No. 11 Texas Longhorns.
BYU came in as the favorite to win this game, but, as Cougar fans know all too well, they dropped the ball in a game that should have been theirs for the taking.
Now, the biggest question that everyone is asking: will AJ Dybansta stay at BYU or declare for the 2026 NBA Draft?
In the loss to Texas last week in the first round, Dybansta notched an impressive 35 points, but it wasn’t enough to put his team on top.
And the Cougars season was not an impressive one, especially after having such high expectations. Many analysts had the Cougars as heavy contenders for a national title, but after a series of unfortunate injuries and several losing streaks, deep tournament runs were just not in the cards for Dybansta and his squad.
And that right there could be the kicker for Dybansta. He’s been competing with Duke’s Cam Boozer and Darryn Peterson from Kansas all year for the projected number 1 NBA Draft pick, and a disappointing season ending in a first-round exit does not bode well for Dybansta.
He’s already said he wants to be the number 1 pick in the draft, so could that mean the Dybansta era at BYU isn’t over yet.
In an interview with Deseret News a few weeks ago, Dybansta hinted that his college career wasn’t done, and after the loss to Texas last week, he didn’t have a definitive answer on whether he’ll declare for the NBA Draft or stay for a sophomore season.
“My mom ultimately is the big boss,” Dybansta said. “She kind of makes the decisions in life with my family. So, I mean I just have to talk with her, see what she says, and you all will get an answer in the next couple of weeks.”
In the interview with Deseret News, Dybansta said his mom wants him to stay at BYU and earn a college degree.
But there’s still a lot to factor before making a decision. He is a semi-finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, which could make his case stronger as the number 1 draft pick. The pay raise is also promising. As the number 1 pick, he is expected to sign a rookie contract worth $45-50 million over four years.
There’s a lot to consider, but this is what I think: Dybansta should stay one more year with BYU to improve his draft stock and should not consider the draft this year.
But only time will tell, and Dybansta is expected to make a decision in the next couple of weeks.