AJ Dybantsa

Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr. (born January 29, 2007) is an American basketball player who currently attends Utah Prep. He is rated as the number one player in the 2025 class after reclassifying from the 2026 class.

Early life and high school career
Dybantsa grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts and initially attended Saint Sebastian's School. He was named the Massachusetts Boys' Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year following his freshman season after averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Dybantsa helped lead Saint Sebastian's to the NEPSAC Class A state championship, but lost to Milton Academy 77–76.

Dybantsa transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California at the end of his freshman year, where he teamed up with the second-ranked player in the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes. In July 2023, Dybantsa led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring with 25.8 points per game as a member of Expressions Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team from Boston.

Dybantsa will conclude his high school basketball career playing at Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah, where he transferred for the 2024-25 season. Utah Prep was previously RSL Basketball Academy in Herriman. At Utah Prep, AJ will reunite with fellow USA gold medalist JJ Mandaquit, the nation's seventh-ranked point guard in the 2025 class who is also playing his senior year with the program.

Recruiting
Dybantsa was named the number one player in the 2026 class by ESPN following his freshman season, with his first NCAA Division I college offer coming from Boston College. Additional schools that have offered him a scholarship include Providence, Georgetown, UConn, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington. In July 2023, On3.com named Dybantsa the top high school player in the country regardless of class.

On October 11, Dybantsa announced that he had reclassified to the 2025 class.

National team
Dybantsa won a gold medal while representing the United States at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico. He scored 12 points in the gold medal game and averaged 13.8 points for the tournament.