BOSTON — UConn coach Dan Hurley has seen, scouted and game-planned against future top NBA draft picks for years. He often observes “spoiled entitlement” out of some of those kids, where they don’t guard and they’re not about the team.
But not BYU freshman phenom and Brockton native AJ Dybantsa. Initially, Hurley saw little sparks on film of the projected top-3 pick leaking out a bit or not getting on the glass. But what he saw Saturday in UConn’s 86-84 victory over BYU was different. Dybantsa did it all, which is why Hurley heaped praise on the 18-year-old wing.
“This guy’s out there guarding,” Hurley said. “He’s on the backboard. He’s communicating with his teammates. He’s playing with a level of desperation to win the game. For a guy that’s going to maybe be the No. 1 pick, it’s just a little refreshing to see. And the mental toughness. I mean, his first half was a mess. For him to be able to put that behind him, back home, and put that second-half performance on was as good as you’ll see from a freshman. And I told him that.”
Dybantsa scored a career-high 25 points in his Boston homecoming, though BYU’s 20-point comeback bid fell just short against UConn. The No. 3-ranked Huskies blitzed the No. 7-ranked Cougars early, dominating the first half. Dybantsa struggled through the opening 20 minutes, going 1-for-6 and scoring four points. UConn fans even rained “overrated” chants at him a couple times following turnovers.
But Dybantsa was the best player on the court in the second half as he poured in 21 points on 7-for-8 shooting. It started when he knocked down a couple jumpers. Then the confidence seemingly swelled as he became more aggressive looking for his shot. He drew fouls, shooting 7-for-10 from the free throw line. Dybantsa took over as the Huskies barely hung on by the final buzzer.
“It’s something I feel,” Dybantsa said. “Just taking what they give me. If they’re going to force me mid, I’m going to take the mid. I’m not going to force it on the baseline. It’s a shot that I work on every single day at 6:30, I’m down to shoot those shots.”
As Hurley pointed out, the mental toughness was on full display. Despite Dybantsa playing in front of friends and family, it was overwhelmingly a pro-UConn crowd. The moment seemed too big for him in the first half, but he forcibly changed the narrative with his play in the second.
While Dybantsa has displayed more of his skills near the perimeter, the shooting was a great touch Saturday. But the lengthy wing still showed off his motor and athleticism on a few physical drives to the bucket. Dybantsa was also active defensively, communicating with his teammates and looking to make rotations.
It’s still early in the college season, so Dybantsa and the Cougars are bound to improve in the coming months. But Saturday proved again BYU has real momentum coming off a Sweet 16 berth last season. So, even though it was a loss, Dybantsa at least passed what was his first major college ball test against a talented UConn team.
“He’s a very mature young man, and obviously, the talent is on full display,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “But what’s more impressive is how he goes about his business. I’ve been around some of the greatest players this game has ever had and they all have the same thing in common in terms of how they go about their approach and how much they’re a student of the game and how hard they want to be coached. I see a lot of similarities in terms of their mentality and with the great guys I’ve coached.”
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