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Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa named Big 12 Athlete of the Year
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- Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa named Big 12 Athlete of the Year
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
AJ Dybantsa has already left BYU , but he earned his final collegiate accolade.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was named the Big 12's Male Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Thursday. Dybantsa beat out a stacked field of great athletes, including fellow NBA Draft picks Houston's Kingston Flemings and Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson, along with Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano, who was a top 10 NFL Draft pick in April.
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Dybantsa has reached new heights in school history while on his way out the door. He's the first Cougars player from any sport to receive Athlete of the Year honors from the Big 12. BYU joined the league in 2023 and combined all athletic programs under the Big 12 profile. Dybantsa led the nation in scoring last season with 25.5 points per game. His journey went from being the top-ranked five-star in the nation to BYU's highest-drafted player in school history.
Dybantsa was joined by TCU women's basketball standout Olivia Miles, who was named the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year. Mr. and Mrs. Big 12 Basketball have chartered their respective paths into the professional ranks. Miles was a consensus All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year before she was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx.
Each Big 12 member school nominated one of its male and female athletes for the award. A 16-member panel of media members voted to decide the winners. This is the first time in history both recipients played basketball. Also, BYU has been represented every year since the school has been part of the Big 12. Dybantsa joins BYU soccer stars Meghan Hunter (2024-25) and Bella Folino (2023-24) for a three-peat.
After one of the most dominant seasons in BYU basketball history, Dybantsa is tasked with turning around one of the worst franchises in NBA history. The Washington Wizards took Dybantsa to as part of a "big three" with Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Both NBA All-Star talents will play the role of mentoring the future star in his initial years in the league.
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Washington hasn't won an NBA title since 1978, when the Bullets defeated the Seattle Supersonics in the Finals. The championship season was also the last time the franchise won at least 50 games. Dybantsa will be a key piece to turning around decades of drought in DC.
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