No. 1 overall recruit A.J. Dybantsa commits to BYU basketball

The nation's top overall basketball recruit, A.J. Dybantsa, committed to Kevin Young and BYU Tuesday morning.

His commitment cements BYU basketball as a top-level program for college basketball. Dybantsa's coming to BYU is the most important commitment in its program's history. His commitment signifies that Young is turning BYU basketball into an NBA pipeline.

In his first season at BYU, Young has recruited four of the highest recruits in the program's history. Dybansta, the consensus top recruit in the country from all major recruiting websites, committed to BYU on ESPN's "First Take."

His commitment elevates the program into a stratosphere that no one could have imagined a few months ago. While Dybantsa was rumored to BYU for months, BYU had to fend off Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas for his talents.

“We’re so excited to welcome AJ and his family to BYU,” Young said in a statement. “We’ve been able to build a great relationship with him and his family and can’t wait to have them all in BYU blue. AJ is a generational talent. He’s a great young man who has a strong appetite to be the best player he can be. His versatile skill set and playmaking will seamlessly fit into our style of play. This is a great day for BYU basketball.”

BYU's NBA-like program was a key selling point for Dybantsa when choosing the Cougars. Since Young took the job in April, BYU has not stopped investing in the program, and recruits across the country have taken notice. Landing the No. 1 recruit in the country may not just be a one-time occurrence for BYU basketball now.

Young has proven in his short time at the helm that BYU will recruit the best players in the country year-in and year-out.

With that talent comes expectations, and Dybantsa is not shying away from them. In what is expected to be his lone season in college basketball, Dybantsa said he wants to compete for a national championship on "First Take."

Very few times in the program's history has BYU put a national championship-caliber team on the court. The talent next season will be there; Dybantsa's commitment to BYU will make other recruits in high school and in the portal more attractive to come to BYU and play high-level basketball while being groomed for the NBA.

BYU has branded itself as a key contender in college basketball recruiting; the question is how fast BYU can turn that talent into a year-in and year-out contender for finally breaking through and making a Final Four.

Even with all the excitement coming into the 2023-24 season, Dybantsa's commitment alone will make next season the most hyped season in BYU basketball history. His commitment stamps the fact that BYU has officially entered a new status in college basketball, where nothing is out of reach.