Is AJ Dybantsa’s college career over?
BYU’s star freshman did what he’s been doing all season, but the sixth-ranked Cougars’ lack of depth was exposed in the first round with a 79-71 upset loss to No. 11 Texas in the West Region.
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DiBanza looks every bit like a player who could be selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the Cougars simply don’t have enough players to keep up with a Texas team that needs to beat NC State in the top four for a chance to play the Cougars.
DiBanza scored 35 points in the loss. That’s 35 points more than anyone on BYU’s bench has scored. The Cougars were unable to get a point from anyone who wasn’t a starter as Texas big man Matas Vokitatis dominated the paint.
Waukitetis took advantage of BYU’s small size and finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, although he struggled at the free throw line.
Despite being held scoreless outside of DiBanza and Robert Wright III, BYU was still able to cut the lead to four points in the final two minutes. But Jordan Pope’s 3-pointer with 1:29 left significantly diminished BYU’s chances of a comeback.
After Alexei Kostic hit a three-pointer, BYU once again pulled within four points, but DiBanza turned the ball over and BYU had a chance to further cut into the lead.