'I Fill Seats,' AJ Dybantsa Gets Real About Why Wizards Should Pick Him No. 1 in 2026 NBA Draft

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa offered a short explanation when asked why the Washington Wizards should select him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

"I fill seats," Dybantsa said in an interview at the draft combine.

It's hard to argue with his response, as fans flocked to the Marriott Center to watch his freshman year as a member of the Cougars.

BYU's average attendance of 18,073 for the 2025-26 season ranked No. 5 in the country (via SI.com's Casey Lundquist). It was also the only Big 12 school that finished within the top 10 for basketball attendance.

Dybantsa thrived throughout his lone year on the Cougars, leading the nation with his scoring average of 25.5 points per game. He also recorded 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals on a nightly basis while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from behind the arc.

In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, the Wizards were projected to select Dybantsa with the No. 1 choice.

"Scouts saw AJ Dybantsa as the No. 1 overall favorite before the lottery," Wasserman wrote. "He also happens to look like a clean fit for Washington. With Dybantsa, the Wizards rotation can now have a trio of big-wing scorers with Kyshawn George and Will Riley."

The first round of the 2026 draft begins on June 23.