AJ Dybantsa
No. 3 – Prolific Prep
PositionSmall forward
Personal information
Born (2007-01-29) January 29, 2007
Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight196 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place2023 MéridaTeam

AJ Dybantsa (born January 29, 2007) is an American basketball player who currently attends Prolific Prep. He is rated as the number one player in the 2025 class after reclassifying from the 2026 class.

Early life and high school career

Dybantsa grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts and initially attended Saint Sebastian's School.[1] He was named the Massachusetts Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year following his freshman season after averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.[2] Dybantsa helped lead Saint Sebastian's to the NEPSAC Class A state championship, but lost to Milton Academy 77–76.[1]

Dybantsa transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California at the end of his freshman year, where he will team up with the second-ranked player in the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes.[2][3] In July 2023, Dybantsa led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring with 25.8 points per game[4] as a member of Expressions Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team from Boston.[5]

Recruiting

Dybantsa was named the number one player in the 2026 class by ESPN following his freshman season,[6] with his first NCAA Division I college offer coming from Boston College.[7] Additional schools that have offered him a scholarship include Providence, Georgetown, UConn, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington.[8] In July 2023, On3.com named Dybantsa the top high school player in the country regardless of class.[4]

On October 11, Dybantsa announced that he had reclassified to the 2025 class.[9]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
AJ Dybansta
SF		 Brockton, MA Prolific Prep (CA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 196 lb (89 kg) — 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 1
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

National team

Dybantsa won a gold medal while representing the United States at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico. He scored 12 points in the gold medal game and averaged 13.8 points for the tournament.[4][10]

References

  1. 1 2 Gasper, Christopher L. (June 8, 2023). "He's 16, the top prospect in his class, and playing for Team USA. How does AJ Dybantsa stay focused amid the hype?". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Divens, Jordan (June 15, 2023). "High school basketball: Top-ranked Class of 2026 prospect A.J. Dybantsa transfers to Prolific Prep". MaxPreps. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  3. ↑ Fuller, Ethan (June 15, 2023). "AJ Dybantsa, the nation's top-ranked freshman basketball player, is transferring from St. Sebastian's to Prolific Prep in California". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Shaw, Jamie (July 10, 2023). "Ranking the top ten prospects in high school basketball". On3.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ Parrish, Gary (July 9, 2023). "Peach Jam 2023: AJ Dybantsa impresses as elite Class of 2026 prospect proves worthy of growing hype". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  6. ↑ Melissa (May 15, 2023). "Brockton Freshman Ranked #1 NBA Prospect By ESPN – Meet A.J. Dybantsa". WROR. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  7. ↑ Cassidy, Rob (May 7, 2023). "Top 2026 AJ Dybansta is taking over games and collecting offers". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ Biancardi, Paul (June 28, 2023). "Rising men's college basketball recruits, a new No. 1, more". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  9. ↑ Buhler, Andy (October 11, 2023). "AJ Dybantsa, nation's top basketball prospect, moves up to class of 2025". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ Lawlor, Christopher (June 12, 2023). "Eight Straight: USA Men's Basketball U16 National Team takes home gold, burying Canada, 118-36, in FIBA Americas final; Cameron Boozer named MVP". Bluestar Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
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