BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was named an Associated Press First Team All-American, the outlet announced on March 17. Dybantsa, who leads the nation in scoring, joins Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, and Texas Tech’s J.T. Toppin on the First Team.
Dybantsa is only the fifth freshman to earn AP First Team All-American honors. He was previously named a Preseason All-American and has averaged 25.3 points per game as BYU heads into the NCAA Tournament.
The Brockton, Massachusetts native has scored 859 points this season, which ranks third-most in a single season in BYU program history and is just eight points away from moving into second place. He has shot 51.3 percent from the field, 34 percent from three-point range, and 76.4 percent from the free throw line.
Dybantsa has scored in double figures in all 34 of his appearances this season, including 27 games with at least 20 points and seven games with at least 30 points. He enters Thursday’s game with a streak of scoring at least 20 points in 13 consecutive games—the second-longest such streak in program history.
One highlight of his season came during BYU’s win over their rivals on January 24 at the Marriott Center, where he broke one of his sixteen freshman records by scoring 43 points while shooting efficiently from all areas of the court.
BYU will begin NCAA Tournament play on Thursday, March 19 against either Texas or NC State at the Moda Center in Portland.
