There was a statement to make for AJ Dybantsa. As great a talent as the predicted top 3 draft pick is, he needed to show his mettle against the best. Going up against the No.1 Arizona off a 43-point display, it felt like the perfect moment for BYU and Dybantsa to announce their reckoning. The stage was set, the carpet was rolled out, but unfortunately, Dybantsa and Co. fell short by a whisker. 

BYU was down by a point with 11.2 seconds left. Robert Wright received the inbound pass well behind the three-point line. The guard drove to the rim, hoping for a contested layup to go in. However, it was denied by Brayden Burries, and that was it. BYU lost its second game of the season 86-83. Despite the loss, AJ Dybantsa sent out a clear message to his Big 12 competitors. He maintained that this game further proved that they are ready to compete with the best. 

“We found our identity that we’re going to fight to the end, we aren’t going to just fold when we’re down a certain amount of points,” Dybantsa told the media. “That just proves that we can play anybody if we can hold the number one team. We didn’t hold them, but they were up big, and we can fight back and come back and then make it a one-possession game. It just shows that what the possibilities for us and what we can do in the future.”

In the first half, it looked like BYU was crashing. They missed open shots, coughed up too many turnovers, and looked hapless against the best team in the country. 3 of Burries’ 6 first-half field goals came off BYU turnovers. The third one, a layup after Burries stole an inbounds pass, helped spark an 18-5 surge that put the Wildcats up 44-31 going into halftime. 

Arizona made seven straight buckets during the go-ahead run. Bradley knocked down four jumpers in that stretch. It looked like the Cougars were outmatched. But no game is decided in 20 minutes, and BYU proved it in the second half. Kevin Young’s side came out with an 8-2 run and couldn’t be stopped. Despite the Wildcats 9-0 stretch that made life difficult, AJ Dybantsa and Co. rallied to make it one-point game with seconds to go. Unfortunately, they couldn’t ice the game after that clutch block from Burries. BYU dropped to 5-2 and No.4 in the Big 12, but a fierce comeback is expected. 

Ultimately, this was a learning moment. This team hadn’t been in such a situation ever this season. Even the Wildcats’ boss Tommy Lloyd agreed that this game “easily could have gone the other way.” This team showed similar fight against UConn, bringing the game down to two points. The occasion and the stature of the opponent do not have much effect on their mindset. And this could be an important quality come March. Mistakes are unavoidable. What matters is how the team bounces back from them. To do that, they need the best version of AJ Dybantsa. 

AJ Dybantsa Denies Arizona’s Role In His Disappointing Outing

It was a big night for AJ Dybantsa, and before the game, it looked like it. Dozens of NBA executives flooded the stands, more than 24. Even with multiple prospects on the court, there were more eyes on Dybantsa since he is vying for the No.1 position in the next draft. However, it was not Dybantsa’s day. 

He struggled against an elite Arizona defense led by 6-foot-7 wing Ivan Kharchenkov. Dybantsa led the Cougars with 24 points, alongside 4 rebounds and 5 assists. But his shooting looked awry, going 6-of-24 from the floor while shooting 1-8 from 3. Dybantsa accounted for 16 of BYU’s 19 free throw attempts, making 11 of them. To the freshman, the disappointing night had nothing to do with the Wildcats’ defense and everything to do with him.

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“AJ, what was Arizona doing to you defensively tonight that led to not as efficient a night going?” a reporter asked. “Nothing. I miss shots. Miss shots. Cuz I’m normally make my midrange wasn’t falling, wide-open threes weren’t falling. I just miss shots.” To be fair to Dybantsa, at times, he was the only one to really attack Arizona. Robert Wright went 3-16 while Richie Saunders was the most efficient of their Big 3, shooting 7-11.

The competition does not get easier as Dybantsa faces fellow phenom Darryn Peterson and Kansas next in a battle of potential No.1s. That is expected to be a hell of a game as well.