Coach Hubert Davis shares his impression of BYU’s star player.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) drives to the basket as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) defends during the game between the BYU Cougars and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Delta Center on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
AJ Dybantsa scored 18 points to lead the No. 8 BYU Cougars to an exhibition win over No. 25 North Carolina on Friday night.
BYU head coach Kevin Young ramped up the Cougars’ schedule this year, including bringing the Tar Heels to the Delta Center for a scrimmage.
After Dybtansa scored 30 points against Nebraska in a scrimmage last week, the top-rated recruit made another strong impression in a 78-76 win over North Carolina. Dybantsa led the Cougars in scoring and added eight rebounds.
“He’s not only an outstanding player, he’s a really neat kid,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “He’s extremely talented on the court but also loves the idea of the team.”
The Tar Heels know BYU’s best player quite well, going back to the recruiting process. Dybantsa heavily considered UNC, so much so that his father, Ace, flew out to watch the Tar Heels play weeks before Dybantsa committed to the Cougars.
“Just watching tape, he’s continued to grow as a player and as a teammate,” Davis said. “But BYU is not AJ Dybansta. BYU is BYU. Very good basketball team.”
He added later, “Playing a quality opponent like BYU, you are just able to clearly identify things that are going well and things that you need to get better at.”