BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was named to the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal All-American Team, according to an announcement from the Los Angeles Athletic Club on March 31.
This recognition places Dybantsa among the top college basketball players in the country for the 2025-26 season. He has also been selected as one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, which will be presented on April 10 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club and broadcast on ESPNU.
Dybantsa, a freshman forward standing at six feet nine inches, has received first-team honors from several organizations including Associated Press, NABC, USBWA and The Sporting News. He led all freshmen nationally in scoring with an average of 25.5 points per game and scored in double figures during each of BYU’s 35 games this season. His performance set multiple BYU freshman records and helped lead his team to a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
During his standout season, Dybantsa scored a total of 894 points—second-most in a single season for BYU and third-most ever by a freshman in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history. He recorded twenty-eight games with twenty or more points and achieved eight thirty-point performances, including setting a new freshman record with forty-three points against Utah at home.
Dybantsa was also recognized for breaking Kevin Durant’s Big 12 tournament scoring record by tallying ninety-three points over three games and opening with forty points against Kansas State—a new single-game tournament record for freshmen. In non-conference play, he became only the second player in Big 12 history to achieve a triple-double featuring thirty or more points along with double-digit assists and rebounds.
The John R. Wooden Award program began in 1976 to honor outstanding players who meet standards related to academic progress and sportsmanship established by Coach John Wooden himself. Past recipients include Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Candace Parker, Maya Moore, Chiney Ogwumike as well as last year’s winners Juju Watkins (USC) and Cooper Flagg (Duke). The foundation associated with this award supports scholarships for universities as well as nonprofit efforts such as youth basketball camps and Special Olympics events.
