CBB Coach Praises Dybantsa for Never Cashing It In, Compares Top Pick to Jaylen Brown, Tatum, Kawhi

Anyone who watched college basketball last season is well aware of what AJ Dybantsa is capable of on the court, but it's his work ethic and competitiveness that stand out to coaches.

One Big 12 coach praised Dybantsa for never cashing it in at BYU and continuing to find ways to get better.

"Dybantsa had every reason to cash it in last year and never did," the coach told ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "He got better, he got more competitive. He took on more responsibility and had a better output. He was playing his best ball late in the year. His competitiveness is what rang so remarkably loud. He's got an NBA game. He's got prototypical NBA size at a position that has been extremely productive at the NBA level. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard. These big, oversized, ballhandling wings. Those guys are in high, high, high demand and they've proven to be unbelievably productive."

Dybantsa led college basketball in scoring at 25.5 points per game, also adding 6.8 boards, 3.7 assists and more than a steal per game on 51 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from deep.

He had firmly established himself as one of the top players in his class by the end of the season, but that didn't stop him from playing 40 minutes in BYU's NCAA tournament game against Texas, where he posted 35 points and 10 rebounds.

"What I saw AJ Dybantsa do, on a completely depleted BYU team, he had every reason to go into self-preservation mode and cruise control his way to safety," one Big 12 coach told Borzello. "He doubled down and allowed [coach Kevin Young] to play him 39 minutes a night. Sign me up for that dude."

Dybantsa wasn't a clear lock to be the No. 1 pick in the weeks leading up to the draft, as Kansas' Darryn Peterson was also in the mix. One thing that separated the two, in the eyes of one coach, was Dybantsa's confidence.

"I think AJ Dybantsa is very likely a real star in the NBA -- in large part because Dybantsa thinks that," the coach said. "His unbridled confidence is probably his greatest strength going into this, and I think he's seeking out the responsibility that comes with being the No. 1 pick and taking on that sort of vocal leadership role even as a young player in an organization in the middle of a rebuild. I haven't seen that as much from Darryn."

The Washington Wizards took Dybantsa with the first pick, and they'll look to him to make an impact immediately on a roster that features former All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis.