It’s time the world knew the name of AJ Dybants…
Dybantsa isn’t just No. 1 in the class of 2026, but he’s one of the NBA’s biggest high school-age prospects.
At only 16 years old (2.01m and 84 kilos), Dybantsa is an electric and athletic forward he is already displaying a number of professional caliber skills. This can be seen in his movements to create his own shots, both from midrange and from three-pointers.
He is capable of attacking with both hands and makes use of the dribble to reach his favorite spots on the pitch. He has elite body control on his rim splits, using his wingspan to get to the basket and finish even on contact. His jump shot is soft and he has the ability to produce in many different areas. Defensively, he has all the necessary tools that NBA teams look for in a modern forward.
Dybantsa proudly represents his hometown of Brockton (Massachusetts), but attended St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, during his freshman season in high school.
He got the award for Gatorade Player of the Year de Massachusetts as freshman, becoming the first player to be ranked as #1 in high school since Nerlens Noel in 2012. He’s already been placed in the same category as other legends like Patrick Ewing, who played in Massachusetts at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
In search of a more difficult challenge, this phenomenon of High School chose to transfer to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, for his next season as sophomorea destination from which he recently left Jalen Green (#2 in the 2021 draft).
Dybantsa also played with the oldest group in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam tournament, leading all Under-17s in scoring with 25.8 points per game.
And all it took was one year of high school for some of the greatest players in NBA history to realize that he’s an up-and-coming talent.
His first offseason It has been as productive as it sounds. She dominated in a Drew League match, competing in the legendary Los Angeles ProAm. She has attended the elite campuses of Jayson Tatum y Stephen Curry and has worked with superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George y Chris Paul.
(Ace Dybantsa, AJ’s father)
And yet, despite being a teenager on a fast track to stardom, he’s completely out of the limelight.
“He’s a very humble kid. He’s not dazzled by the stars. He’s just going through his journey, loving it.” said AJ’s father, Ace, to The Sporting News.
When asked about his workouts with legends like LeBron and KD, Dybantsa’s responses were not those of a wide-eyed kid given the chance to meet his heroes. Instead, he spoke like a student of the game who will one day compete against future Hall of Famers.
“They told me to use my height to my advantage. You don’t need to dribble as much, you can just get past the defenders.” Dybantsa said confidently. “KD, LeBron and Paul George told me that.”
Dybantsa was leaving Curry’s SC30 training camp at the time of the interview and was able to see firsthand the work ethic of the greatest shooter of all time.
“I mean, personally, he’s in my top 10 players of all time, so it was great to learn from him.” Dybantsa said of Curry. “Obviously he’s the best shooter that’s ever played, so he gave us great advice on shooting.”
“He definitely has a different training. Since I have been training with professionals, their training has been the most different compared to all the others.”
Dybantsa has been shared in the blink of an eye by some of the best players in the NBA today, but there are still a couple of figures he’d want to be in a gym with. He cited George, Tatum, Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Ingram as his favorite players to watch, with the latter two topping his list in a hypothetical practice.
“Besides Kawhi,… Brandon Ingram. If I could train with him, that would be great.” Dybantsa said.
As one of the great prospects of the future, AJ Dybantsa has been gearing up for a pivotal season at his new destination, Prolific Prep, where he will join an all-star team expected to compete for a national championship.
“The NBA is the best competition, so you can also start young”Dybantsa said about wanting to play on a national schedule at Prolific Prep. “If you’re playing with the best players in each class, some of those will most likely get drafted one day, so you’ll be playing against future NBA players instead of playing in a public school where you have no competition. And then you have to go to university and adjust very quickly. So I think Prolific will help me adjust to the college route much faster.”
AJ Dybantsa has a pretty good idea of the route he wants to take post-high school ???? pic.twitter.com/uSx3pAlAeT
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 16, 2023
And as you hinted, Dybantsa currently has a preferred path to the NBA.
“All options are available, but I lean more towards the university route”, he told TSN.
While college, and eventually the NBA, are in the bright future for Dybantsa, he is focused on his debut season at Prolific Prep.
“I’m excited. Hopefully we can win. I think we can.”
2023-08-17 13:05:09
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