Even before AJ Dybantsa stepped onto a college basketball court, he was already viewed as a once-in-a-generation talent and a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Now, as a freshman representing the BYU Cougars, he isn’t just living up to that hype. With every game, he’s reinforcing why it existed in the first place.

On Tuesday night, Dybantsa crossed into territory no player his age had ever touched.

In the Cougars’ latest matchup against the Eastern Washington Eagles, the 18-year-old star finished with 33 points while securing 10 rebounds and making 10 assists in 36 minutes, which officially made him the youngest player in NCAA history to record a 30-point triple-double.

His jaw-dropping performance helped the Cougars win the game by 109-81 and improve to 12-1 in the 2025-26 NCAA season.

It wasn’t a stat-padding night or a game that unfolded by accident. Dybantsa controlled the pace, dictated matchups, and consistently made the right reads as defenses threw bodies at him. Whether it was scoring in isolation, facilitating in transition, or crashing the glass, the freshman looked far more like a seasoned pro than someone in his first college season.

And thanks to him, the Cougars surpassed 50 points in both halves of the game, shooting 38% from beyond the arc, with Kennard Davis knocking down five threes and Rob Wright and Richie Saunders adding seven more combined. And for the young star, this achievement wouldn’t have been possible without his teammates.

“My teammates, I couldn’t gain the assist without my teammates saying shots. So, I thank them for scoring baskets,” he said in a post-game interview.

When EWU tried to stay home on shooters, he punished them inside. When they crowded the paint, he stepped out and stretched the floor. He lived at the free-throw line as well, drawing 11 attempts, out of which he converted nine.

For a team still ironing out its defensive consistency as it heads into Big 12 play, Dybantsa’s presence was the stabilizer, and it didn’t take long for fans to realize they were watching something different, a one-of-its-kind history, as they took to social media to express their disbelief.

Fans react as AJ Dybantsa makes history

With this win under their belt, the Cougars have ended their non-conference games with a close to perfect run. The only loss they have faced so far came against the No. 3-ranked UConn Huskies. But even in that game, Dybantsa dominated the scoreboard and dropped 25 points against one of the strongest teams in the league.

So, as soon as the final buzzer sounded in the game where he left everyone shell-shocked, fans wasted no time putting AJ Dybantsa’s performance into superstardom territory.

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One fan wrote, “That stat line is unreal. 33/10/10/2, 85% FG, 67% 3PFG, +22.” Another added, “Witnessing history in the making! This kid is absolutely special. 🏀🔥”

If you were one of the 17,998 people in the Marriott Center, you did witness history in the making. Because not only did AJ Dybantsa become the youngest player to record a 30-point triple-double, he also became the first Division I player in the last 30 seasons to average 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 60 percent shooting in a calendar month. And he is doing all that as a freshman in the Big 12.

As one fan wrote, “He different!” And well he really is!

Even back in high school, AJ Dybantsa was doing things that made everyone take notice. At Saint Sebastian’s in Massachusetts, he averaged nearly 20 points as a freshman, grabbed rebounds, blocked shots, and was a constant force on the floor, so much so that he earned the Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year.

He helped lead his team all the way to the NEPSAC Class A state championship game, falling just short to Milton Academy.

When he moved to Prolific Prep in California, Dybantsa immediately made his presence felt against some of the nation’s best talent, teaming up with Tyran Stokes, the No. 2 player in the 2026 class. On the AAU circuit with Expressions Elite, he led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring, proving he could dominate against top-tier competition.

Some fans have already started to pencil him into future draft scenarios, hoping their favorite teams will draft this young star in 2026. “Let’s hope the Spurs get that Hawks pick in the Draft then! He’d look great in the Silver and Black,” one wrote, while another added, “Future Mav let’s goooo. 👀”

Now, until the draft takes place, AJ Dybantsa will keep making history in college basketball, leaving everyone in awe of just what this freshman is capable of, and from the reactions, it’s safe to say fans can’t have enough of him.