Potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa declares for NBA draft

AJ DiBuntsa, the projected No. 1 pick this summer, has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, he announced Thursday on YouTube.

In the video, Dyabantsa read a letter he wrote when he was 7 years old and hoping to become a basketball player one day. Now, according to ESPN, the BYU star will enter this summer’s draft as a top prospect. He’ll likely face Kansas star Darrin Peterson for that top spot.

“See you all on draft night,” DiBantsa said in the video.

DiBantsa led the nation in scoring last season and led BYU to the NCAA Tournament after Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending injury in January.

In several interviews before his announcement, Dyabantsa had indicated that he might remain in college for another year. He said that his mother wanted him to graduate from college, which may have ultimately influenced his decision before he entered the draft.

During a press conference in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts, on Thursday — held at the Edgar B. Davis Community School, where he attended elementary school — DiBantsa said he still values ​​education and hopes to use it in the future.

He said, “Even if you’re not a famous actor or athlete, you can still do great things with education.”

He said his goal is to enjoy the same fame that Hall of Fame boxers Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, who call Brockton their hometown, achieved as they represented the city.

“It feels good. A lot of NBA players have told me it really starts when you get there,” DiBantsa said. “I’m just looking forward to being a newbie.”

The Utah Jazz could end up with the No. 1 pick, making DiBantsa potentially a star just an hour’s drive from where he played college basketball in Provo.

But he said Thursday he doesn’t have a favorite spot in the NBA.

“Whatever team drafts me,” DiBantsa said.