BYU’s AJ Dybantsa earns Preseason All-American honors

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BYU basketball player AJ Dybantsa jumps up to make a basket during their annual Blue-White Scrimmage at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

Jackson Payne

Mon, Oct 20, 2025 ·

1 min read

AJ Dybantsa continues to make history at BYU.

The top recruit turned freshman phenom has been named an AP Preseason All-American, BYU announced Monday.

Dybantsa is the first Cougar to earn such recognition since Jimmer Fredette in 2010-11, who went on to win consensus National Player of the Year honors that year.

Fredette and Dybantsa are the only BYU players to be named Preseason All-Americans since the award was created in 1986.

Joining Dybantsa on the Preseason All-America team are Braden Smith of Purdue, JT Toppin of Texas Tech, Alex Condon of Florida and Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg.

In BYU’s first preseason exhibition at Nebraska this past Saturday, Dybantsa scored 30 points with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block, looking every bit of the All-American he’s projected to be.

Dybantsa and the Cougars will open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 3 against Villanova in Las Vegas.

Editor’s note: Jackson Payne is a voter for the AP men’s basketball Top 25 poll and All-America team. He voted for Dybantsa.