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The race to the top of the next NBA draft class already appears to have a clear frontrunner. AJ Dybantsa, the standout freshman from Brigham Young University, has emerged as the projected No. 1 pick thanks to a dominant season that has drawn comparisons to one of the NBA's most productive stars, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
At 6-foot-9 and 201 pounds, the 19-year-old forward has been the centerpiece of the college basketball conversation throughout the 2025-26 season. Dybantsa led the NCAA in scoring with 24.7 points per game while also averaging 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
He shot an impressive 51.2 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from three-point range, production that earned him Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, a place on the All-Big 12 First Team and a projected First-Team All-American selection.
Sitting at the top of the draft conversation
Those numbers alone place him at the top of the draft conversation, but it's his overall skill set that has convinced many evaluators that he is the most valuable prospect in the class. Scouts widely consider Dybantsa the prize of the upcoming draft, ranking him ahead of other elite prospects such as Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer.
Part of the intrigue surrounding Dybantsa is how difficult he is to defend. His combination of length, balance and creativity allows him to score in ways that resemble a blend of former stars like Tracy McGrady and Paul George, while his control in the midrange and ability to draw fouls often evokes comparisons to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Dybantsa's offensive style is built around flexibility and shot selection. He thrives in the midrange, where he frequently operates from the high post before backing down defenders and creating space for turnaround jumpers. His length allows him to rise over defenders and release clean shots even when tightly contested, leading to the familiar reaction heard from opposing fans and coaches: good defense, better offense.
A striking stat for a freshman
Despite his heavy reliance on jump shooting, his efficiency has been remarkable. Dybantsa finished the season shooting 51.2 percent from the field, a striking number for a player who takes so many perimeter and midrange attempts.
He also proved to be highly effective attacking the basket, converting approximately 76 percent of his attempts at the rim. Even more impressive is that only 23.4 percent of those finishes were assisted, underscoring his ability to create offense on his own.
His scoring explosion against rival Utah Utes men's basketball highlighted just how dangerous he can be. Dybantsa poured in a freshman program-record 43 points in that game, one of several performances that kept him atop the national scoring leaderboard from opening night through the end of the regular season.
Another trait that stands out to NBA scouts is his ability to draw fouls. Dybantsa led the nation in fouls drawn as a freshman and averaged 8.4 free-throw attempts per game in 40-minute college contests. Adjusted to the pace of an NBA game, that figure would translate to roughly 10.1 attempts per night, a number comparable to the league leaders such as Luka Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander,Nikola Jokic and James Harden.