At Madison Square Garden, AJ Dybantsa entered the court, carrying the burden of BYU’s undefeated run. In a span of ten weeks, the freshman star’s NIL valuation decreased by roughly $100,000, which is an uncommon financial error for the most marketable player in college basketball. Yet, in the dazzling atmosphere of basketball’s Mecca, Dybantsa’s play proved why he’s still valued at $4.4 million, even with his recent market dip.

Dybantsa had a lot of money problems at a strange time. He started the season with big endorsement deals from Nike, Red Bull, and Fanatics. On3’s NIL tracker kept track of the decline through the fall. This was an unusual path for a player with the biggest NIL commitment in college basketball history. The pressure that came with that status only grew as BYU played Clemson on Tuesday night. At halftime, they were down 21 points after scoring just 22 points and shooting 28.1 percent in the first half.

Dybantsa didn’t let the deficit get in the way of his first MSG game.

“It was just being patient, don’t get too down on yourself if you’re missing shots in the first half, I’m super confident in my ability, and I trust all the work that I put in,” he explained after the game.

Clemson’s decision to stop double-teaming him in the second half allowed him to score 22 points, going 7 for 11 from the field. With a height of 6’9″, the wing player achieved a career-high 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. This was his ninth straight game with 15 or more points, making it the second-longest streak to start a career in Big 12 history, behind Trae Young’s 26-game streak.

Dybantsa’s thunderous dunk with 1:10 left in the game capped off the comeback and put BYU ahead by six. Robert Wright III’s 30-foot buzzer beater sealed the 67-64 win. In the second half, Coach Kevin Young made the offense easier by putting Wright in pick-and-roll situations and giving Dybantsa more touches. The strategy turned a 22-point deficit into the biggest second-half comeback in program history. This shows that talent stays the same when the stage calls for greatness, even though financial valuations change.

AJ Dybantsa credits BYU trust for Madison Square Garden heroics

That historic comeback showed more than just individual talent; it showed the chemistry that kept BYU together when all hope seemed lost. The Cougars were down 44-22 at the most famous place in the sport halfway through the second half. This was their defining moment. The Jimmy V Classic had shown all the flaws, but what happened next shocked everyone who saw it.

When asked about the unlikely rally, AJ Dybantsa quickly turned the praise to his teammates.

“You got to have trust in your teammates. It don’t matter what the play is, don’t matter if I had 50 that game. Whoever is open gets ball. They decided to double me. He shoot 45 percent from 3 (Wright). I’ll take that,” he said.

The win held significant importance for Dybantsa, given it was his inaugural appearance at Madison Square Garden. Having grown up in Boston, he understood the value of playing in the legendary basketball arena and contributed 28 points. This performance aided the tenth-ranked Cougars in their victory, bringing their record to 8-1, thanks to a remarkable 45-point second-half surge. After a slow start, BYU rallied at the Mecca, securing a record-breaking comeback for the program.

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