In a remarkable display of skill, AJ Dybantsa has etched his name in the Big 12 tournament history by surpassing NBA superstar Kevin Durant's long-standing scoring record. During BYU's quarterfinal match against No. 5 Houston on Thursday night, Dybantsa tallied 26 points, bringing his tournament total to 93 and securing his place in the record books.
"Everybody knows he's my favorite player," shared Dybantsa, expressing his admiration for Durant. "So it feels good to just break his record."
The 6-foot-9 guard faced intense defensive scrutiny from Houston's squad, as Coach Kelvin Sampson acknowledged the focus placed on neutralizing the offensive threat posed by Dybantsa. "[Dybantsa] can shoot. There's a lot of shooters that can't score. There's a lot of guys who can really score, but they can't shoot," said Sampson. He emphasized Dybantsa’s exceptional shooting abilities. "If you watch the ball roll off his fingertips and his release at the free throw line, you can tell he's an elite shooter. He's going to get better."
Despite his notable achievement, Dybantsa had a quieter second half, which raised concerns among his coaching staff. BYU's head coach Kevin Young praised Dybantsa but noted that he could have performed even better. "He can do everything on the court that you want a basketball player to do," Young remarked when addressing Dybantsa's performance. "I'm not trying to get snappy. I thought he played a great offensive game. He should have had 40 again."
Dybantsa's second-half shooting dropped to 3-for-10, resulting in ten points but highlighting an area of potential improvement: his presence at the free-throw line. Coach Young was candid in his critique of officiating, suggesting that Dybantsa should have been awarded more opportunities to shoot free throws. "I'll just cut to the chase, right out of the gate. They won the game. But AJ took 10 free throws, and he should have shot 20 free throws minimum in that game," Young said, underlining his frustration with the officiating.
He continued, "I'm not saying the officials were like, 'Oh, we're going to give Houston calls and not BYU.' I'm not suggesting that in any form or fashion. I thought they flat-out missed calls, bottom line, and that led us to turnovers, led us to frustration."
As BYU reflects on the tough 73-66 loss to Houston, the team now turns its eyes toward the upcoming NCAA tournament. With the selection show on Sunday, the Cougars will await their seeding and the opportunity to continue their season in the national spotlight. Dybantsa’s impressive tournament performance may position him as a key player to watch as he looks to build on this landmark achievement in March Madness.