By SAM LANCE
North Augusta, S.C. — A.J. Dybantsa, the top overall prospect in the 2025 class, plans to release a top schools list by the end of July and will then visit all of his finalists before making a decision, per his father Ace Dybantsa.
A.J. also confirmed this news during an interview with ZAGSBLOG on Sunday after he led the Oakland Soldiers to a 65-61 win over the New York Renaissance. Dybantsa scored a game-high 23 points in the contest with several college coaches watching.
In the gym for @Soldiers_Salute vs. @NYRhoops…
— Sam Lance (@slancehoops) July 14, 2024
John Calipari, Nate Oats, Ryan McMahon, Shaheen Holloway, Steve Pikiell, Dana Altman.
Assistants Danny Manning, Norm Roberts, Steven Pearl and Mamadou N’Diaye, among others. pic.twitter.com/O5LfGo5uL2
Dybantsa — the 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward from Utah Prep — holds offers from more than 25 programs. He broke down some of the schools recruiting him hardest with ZAGSBLOG:
BYU: “I mean it’s three hours away from Utah Prep so I mean that’s kinda far, but I mean it was good. Seeing the campus, I just seen like the overall view, seeing the gyms and everything.”
On the BYU unofficial: “It was good, that’s when I took my Utah Prep visit. Since I was up there I just took an unofficial over there. Coach [Kevin Young] said hopefully he can get me back on an official to take me thru the whole, like, visit profile and what he has in store for me.”
Kentucky: “I talked to Mark [Pope]. I went on a zoom with him, but I got the offer on a call. I went on a zoom with him Jason Hart. They were just talking about what they have in store hopefully. He was in Istanbul and Turkey also.”
On potential Kentucky visit: “I don’t know. I mean my dad probably going to pick the schools I visit because he has the best interest for me. But we’ll see.”
Alabama: “I’ve known Preston [Murphy], he used to coach me at EYBL. He used to be my Expressions coach my freshman year playing 17s. I know about him, I don’t know a lot about the school. I talked to Nate Oats when I got the offer. They had a good run [last year]. I mean, two of my teammates from Prolific went there so they obviously think it’s good, so we’ll see.”
Auburn: “[Bruce Pearl] was here this weekend. I saw him in Istanbul. I went on a visit, it was just more of the same talk about what he has in store for me and what he thinks I can be.”
USC: “Yeah, I mean when I went on a visit it was the old staff. But [Eric] Musselman also reached out and said he was going to offer me with the new staff.”
Duke: “I’ve only heard from [Jon] Scheyer once, but I’m sure they talk to my dad on the regular.”
Arkansas: “I’ve talked to [John] Calipari multiple times, when he was at Kentucky and at Arkansas. Coach Chin [Coleman] and Cal.”
Baylor: “I talked to Scott [Drew], and I talked to [John] Jakus before he left. But I talked to Scott at Prolific, like they came to like when you have the little runs and you can like offer people. Yeah, he came and just talked to me.”
UConn: “They were one of my first offers. They were like my third offer, that was when I was a freshman. And I don’t know, I haven’t heard from him since. Obviously they’re a winning program. I mean I like to win so I mean it might be a fit.”
Georgia Tech: “That was also one of my first offers. I think I’ve only spoken to [Damon] Stoudamire once, when I got it.”
Again, Dybantsa is not sure about where exactly he will visit and said he will trim it to “seven I assume.” He has already visited BYU and Auburn.
As for schools pushing the hardest?
“I mean, I don’t talk to coaches, my dad does,” Dybantsa said. “So whatever he hears from them.”
Most recently before Peach Jam, Dybantsa helped 17U Team USA win a gold medal in Turkey. Dybantsa said it was a good experience, but what exactly did he take away?
“Just learning how to play different roles depending on what team you’re on,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously when you’re on that team you have different guys that are in the same position as you and can do the same thing as you. You have learn how to do other stuff.”
Dybantsa is the No. 1 player in the class of 2025 and regarded as one of the top NBA prospects regardless of class. He will hope to lead the Oakland Soldiers to a Peach Jam crown this week.
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