AJ Dybantsa continues to put together video game-like performances for Brigham Young University basketball.
The projected No. 1 overall draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft finished with a casual 43 points on 15-of-24 shooting in the 13th-ranked Cougars’ 91-78 win over Utah on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
Dybantsa’s 43 points set a BYU record for the most points scored in a single game by a freshman. It is also the most points in a single game this season by a player in the Big 12, according to Fox’s broadcast.
‘No weaknesses,’ former UConn forward and Fox Sports analyst Donny Marshall said of Dybantsa’s overall game and performance against Utah on the network’s postgame show.
The 6-foot-9 forward showed off a little bit of everything with his game, as he found success inside and outside of the paint, including from beyond the arc as he was 3-of-4 on 3-point shooting attempts. He also added six rebounds and three assists to his career day.
Dybantsa scored 24 of his 43 points in the second half, which included the dagger on the Cougars’ fifth conference win of the season: an emphatic dunk that set the arena off into a frenzy with 2:33 remaining in regulation.
‘I don’t know. To be honest, I was hot from the beginning. I was making a lot of shots that I normally make, so I felt like it was going to be a good day,’ Dybantsa said to Fox Sports’ Casey Jacobsen postgame on his day.
He’s one of three freshmen to score at least 40 points on Saturday, with the others being Illinois’ Keaton Wagler (46 points vs. No. 4 Purdue) and Houston’s Kingston Flemings (42 points vs. No. 12 Texas Tech).
Here’s a deeper look into Dybantsa’s day against Utah:
AJ Dybantsa stats vs Utah
Here’s a look at Dybantsa’s stats from Saturday’s game against Utah:
Points: 43
Shooting: 15-of-24
3-point shooting: 4-of-5
Free throw shooting: 9-of-10
Rebounds: 6
Assists: 3
Steals: 0
Blocks: 1
Turnovers: 3
Minutes: 36
AJ Dybantsa highlights vs Utah
Here’s a look at a few highlights from Dybantsa’s career night against the Utes in the Holy War:
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