AJ Dybantsa Praised for Not 'Being a Pig' by Coach, NBA Scout Hypes BYU SF Showing Up Despite 'S--t'

Praise has been bountiful for BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa as the NBA draft approaches, and that continued Friday thanks to numerous comments about the potential No. 1 overall pick to David Aldridge of The Athletic.

Of note, one college head coach praised Dybantsa for "not being a pig" (in essence, for his humility and level-headedness amid his lofty status as the top prospect), while a scout hyped the star for showing up and performing consistently in the face of potentially overwhelming hype.

"It makes sense, for what (the Washington Wizards) need," the college coach began about Dybantsa's fit on the Wizards, who have the No. 1 overall pick.

"They need a wing, a big wing. That dude loves to play basketball. It was so impressive. He was the best player (at the U.S. Under-19 training camp in Colorado last year), and there were a lot of other really good players there. But he didn't act like it, as far as big-timing people, being a pig. He played the right way. He is so frigging good. He is big, man. That was the thing that shocked me. Like, I'd seen him on the circuit, and I tried to watch him as much as I could. I like to watch good players. When I saw him last summer. … He's a big dude. Your offense is your defense."

Meanwhile, the scout had this to say.

"He's showing up for the run every day. In spite of all the s--t, all the hoopla, he showed up every day. He still did his thing."

Dybantsa entered BYU as the No. 1 overall prospect on 247Sports' Composite rankings of the top high school class of 2025 recruits. He met the hype and then some, averaging an NCAA Division I-high 25.5 points per game on 51.0 percent shooting. Dybantsa also earned consensus All-American honors.

While there's been some buzz on the Wizards selecting Kansas guard Darryn Peterson at No. 1 overall, Dybantsa does appear to be in the lead to go first. That's where Jonathan Wasserman has him in his latest NBA mock draft for Bleacher Report.

"Rival executives continue to speculate that the Washington Wizards will take AJ Dybantsa. And if they do surprise the league, it will be with Darryn Peterson, though sources say Washington has remained very tight-lipped during the process," Wasserman wrote in part.

"As it stands, though, Dybantsa's positional size, advanced footwork for creation, high-level shotmaking, 25.5 points per game and competitiveness suggest he may be too rare of a scoring prospect to pass on.

"With the front office invested in developing Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr, leaving room for a small forward to start and grow could give Dybantsa added fit value in Washington."

It's hard to argue against the Wizards selecting Dybantsa. By all accounts, he's been a star on the court, and he is receiving rave remarks off it as well. Another executive from a Western Conference team had this to say to Aldridge.

"He's a responsible kid. He's not ducking from not wanting to be the top player. He carries himself as the best player. He's running to, 'Hey, man — I'm the best player in the league.'"

The Wizards, who just finished a league-worst 17-65, could certainly use a player of that stature. We'll find out for sure where Dybantsa goes when the draft kicks off Tuesday from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.