The electricity was palpable in Las Vegas. The Brigham Young contingent traveled West to usher in what many believe is now the golden era of Cougar men’s basketball.
It began with a rousing showing − with the man they believe to lead that era showing why so much is possible for BYU.
Freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa dazzled in his college debut, leading No. 8 BYU to a 71-66 win over Villanova with a dominant second half performance.
‘It just feels good to get under my belt and get a win,’ Dybantsa said.
Last season felt like the start of something building for BYU, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since the Jimmer Fredette days in 2011. Coincidentally, “Jimmer Mania” might be the best way to compare the hype surrounding Dybantsa.
Considered the top recruit in the 2025 freshman class, Dybantsa attended Utah Prep Academy and opted to stay in-state, spurring Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina to play for BYU coach Kevin Young.
The Cougars got a taste of Dybantsa’s potential in a couple of exhibitions, including a 30-point outing against Nebraska. It brought excitement, but everyone eagerly waited to see what he could do in a game that counts.
When the lights were bright and the pressure was up, Dybantsa proved he could take over. He finished with a team-high 21 points, 13 of which came in a second half resurgence that staved the Wildcats off from a potential upset. He added five rebounds and three assists while not committing a turnover or a foul.
The flashes were there immediately. Dybantsa was driving toward the bucket and able to get himself enough space for a good look and get the shot in. His quick flurry in the opening minutes helped BYU get out to an early lead and gain a sense this game would be over early.
But the new Villanova under Kevin Willard showed it wasn’t going to fold easily. A 12-3 run in the second half suddenly made it a one-point game, and with just under seven minutes left, the Wildcats were up by two points.
That’s when the Dybantsa show only picked up. He made it a mission to drive into the paint, weaving his way through the defenders and scoring as Villanova’s interior was unable to stop it. He scored six points during a 10-0 BYU run, a critical stretch that not only gave the Cougars the lead back but made it too big of a deficit for Villanova late in the second half.
By then, all BYU needed to do was to avoid the mistakes to let Villanova back in.
It was an impressive showing for the freshman, even with teammates Richie Saunders and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III each having their own productive nights. There wasn’t a need to ease Dybantsa into the game, with him just sitting two minutes of the second half and playing the final nine minutes of the game.
Young said he had told Dybantsa at halftime he felt like he was a little too jumpy in the first 20 minutes, but saw him flip a switch that allowed him to be ‘a little bit more calculated with his drives.’
‘Down the stretch, we put the ball in his hands,’ Young said. ‘He made plays, so in his first game to be able to have the poise to do that, I thought was impressive.’
If there was one thing to work on, it was the free throw shooting, where he went just 2-for-7 from the charity stripe.
It’s only the first game, but it was a promising sign for Dybantsa and a BYU team that believes it can make its first Final Four in program history. If Dybantsa is able to command games like he did in the season opener, gold may be awaiting the Cougars in March.