The ghost of Carmelo Anthony's legendary 2003 freshman season at Syracuse continues to loom large over American college basketball. For two decades, prodigious talents from Kevin Durant to Zion Williamson have attempted, yet failed, to replicate his unique feat of carrying his team to a national championship as a first-year player. The latest aspirant is Brockton, Massachusetts native AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 forward whose choice of university raised eyebrows across the sport.
An Unconventional Path to Provo
After a high school career that saw him instantly anointed as the top recruit in his class and move to elite programmes in California and Utah, Dybantsa was inundated with offers from basketball's traditional bastions. Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky all vied for his signature. In a move that stunned the college basketball world, he announced on ESPN's First Take his commitment to Brigham Young University (BYU), a Mormon-run institution in Provo, Utah with a limited basketball pedigree.
His reasoning, as told to Yahoo Sports, was rooted in a desire for focus: 'Nobody bothers me,' Dybantsa explained. 'I'm in Utah. Nobody knows where that's at. But that's like, they don't have no idea who I am. They just ask me if I play basketball.' This strategic choice, avoiding the path of unfulfilled potential like Ben Simmons at LSU, placed him alongside a strong supporting cast of three returning starters from a team that reached the Sweet 16 the previous year.
A Homecoming Showdown at TD Garden
This weekend, the hype travelled with Dybantsa back to his home state for a marquee matchup at Boston's TD Garden. The opponent was the formidable UConn Huskies, the back-to-back national champions in 2023 and 2024, presenting the toughest challenge of the young star's career. The occasion was also a homecoming for UConn's Alex Karaban, a senior from Southboro, Massachusetts.
The pressure, however, appeared immense. Dybantsa's start was nightmarish, opening the game shooting a dismal 1-for-6 from the field. As BYU's corner three-point attempts consistently missed their mark, UConn drained triples with ease. The majority UConn crowd seized the moment, showering the struggling freshman with chants of 'o-ver-ra-ted' after a particularly errant shot sailed long.
He didn't connect on his second field goal until six minutes into the second half, by which time BYU faced a 17-point deficit. Finally finding his rhythm, Dybantsa hit his first three-pointer and sparked a remarkable Cougar fightback. BYU began trapping effectively, UConn fell into foul trouble, and a 7-shot scoring streak saw the deficit shrink to just five points.
A Thrilling Finish Falls Short
The game escalated into a tense back-and-forth affair in the final minutes. A clutch triple from senior Dawson Baker brought BYU within two points at 84-82 with a mere 20 seconds on the clock. After a missed UConn free throw, the Cougars had a chance to tie or win, but a crucial drive by Robert Wright III ended with the ball being poked free and stolen by UConn's Solo Ball, effectively sealing the game.
Despite a valiant comeback effort from his team, Dybantsa could not lead BYU to victory in his homecoming spectacle. While he ultimately led all scorers on the night, his initial struggles against a top-tier opponent highlighted the immense challenge that lies ahead if he is to truly follow in the footsteps of Carmelo Anthony and carve his name into college basketball history.
