AJ Dybantsa stars in star-studded enemy homecoming

AJ Dybantsa knew what to expect on Saturday. The promotion for the Hall of Fame Series Boston focused on the Brockton, Massachusetts native getting the opportunity to play on the TD Garden floor. The reality of the situation is that UConn Huskies fans would fill the stands in full force and make their presence felt all evening.

“I expected it. I saw all over social media that they were going to get a whiteout here,” Dybantsa said after nearly leading the BYU Cougars to a come-from-behind victory after trailing by 20 points in the second half. “I know they are known for their travels. UConn isn’t that far away, but I knew they were coming to travel. I knew it would be loud.”

There was also plenty of hometown support for Dybantsa. That included family, friends and Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who cheered him on from the court. And from Utah to Kansas to Washington, D.C., BYU fans traveled from across the country to watch their team play at TD Garden.

Still, there were “overrated” chants, cheers when his name was called at the end of player introductions, and raucous outbursts almost every time the Huskies scored. Although this was a homecoming for Dybantsa and the atmosphere was electric, there was no doubt which side had a louder and bigger contingency.

He kept his composure throughout the match and enjoyed everything.

“It was exciting. Definitely some familiar faces in the crowd,” Dybantsa told Forbes about his experience with the TD Garden prosecutor’s office. “It was good. There was a good atmosphere.”

In the first 25 minutes of Saturday night’s game, the UConn crowd was celebrating. The Huskies shot 57 percent from the field in the first half, produced 22 points in the paint and put 43 points on the board.

Conversely, Dybantsa struggled at the start of his homecoming. He went into the break 1/6 with four points; his team trailed by double digits.

As it turns out, these struggles set the stage for a dazzling performance that only a second-half star is capable of.

AJ Dybantsa shows what makes him special

Even when he wasn’t performing well in the first half, it was clear the Cougars’ star wing was the best athlete and most talented player on the floor. After the break it was impossible for anyone to miss it.

Dybantsa put on a show for his home crowd, knocking down contested fadeaways, step-back jumpers and working his way to the rim. There was also a display of elite footwork as he attacked Massachusetts native Alex Karaban off the dribble.

The former drove into the middle of the paint, pumped a fake, then turned the other way and put the ball off the glass with his left hand. It was perhaps the most impressive display of his skill, fluidity and athleticism in a single game on Saturday.

Dybantsa scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half, converting seven of the eight shots he made. That included burying a three off the bounce to bring BYU within three with 30 seconds left.

Ultimately, the Huskies held on for an 86-84 win. But the star of the night was the hometown boy who turned a game that was poised to be a big win for UConn into a turning point that the No. 3 team had to fight to finish.

“That’s the high level of shooting ability you’re going to see in college basketball,” Huskies head coach Dan Durley said after the win. “He brought the whole bag tonight.”

Hurley continued to sing Dybantsa’s praises, saying, “You’re guarding arguably the best offensive player in college basketball, the potential No. 1 pick,” and “once he gets going, players as special as he is will start to do so.”

When asked what drove him as he put his first half struggles behind him and took over in the final fourteen minutes, he said: Dybantsa told Forbes the key was, “Just stay calm. I had coach KY [Kevin Young]coach JL [John Linehan]and said to me, ‘It’s coming to you. Don’t try to force it,’ and that’s what I did.”

Dan Hurley and Kevin Young’s praise for AJ Dybantsa

As the game ended, Hurley shared a hug with the 18-year-old star who nearly handed his team its first loss of the season. While sharing what he told him, the UConn bench boss explained the maturation he has seen from studying Dybantsa.

‘Just the growth, I mean, and his approach,’ Hurley told Forbes. “Sometimes you look at these kids, they come to college, these high selections. It’s been over years and years and years. You can see on film the entitlement, the spoiled entitlement, the not guarding. The not being about team, and so you’re in the lead up to the film, like, I think maybe in the Nebraska scrimmage, or the Nebraska exhibition, there was a couple [of] belongings where it was leaking a little. Like I’m leaking out, not stepping on the glass, but I’m watching the evolution, from game to game until tonight, and this guy is standing guard. He’s on the board, he’s communicating with his teammates, and he’s playing with a degree of desperation to win the game.

“For a guy who might be the No. 1 pick, it’s just kind of refreshing to see that guy and his mental toughness. I mean, his first half was a mess, and for him to be able to put that behind him, at home, and put on that performance in the second half was as good as you’re going to see from a freshman. And I told him that.”

Dybantsa’s athleticism, length and skill create the hype that earns a player the highest ranking in his class. But as Hurley put it, his maturity and composure on display at Saturday’s Hall of Fame Series event may push him to maximize his talent.

“He’s a mature young man. He’s come in and not only made it about himself, but at the same time has been able to create big moments for us,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said of Dybantsa’s mental state from the podium after the game.

“I really respect the way he goes about his business. I think he’s a very mature young man. And obviously the talent is on full display, but what’s even more impressive is the way he goes about his business,” continued Young, who worked with NBA stars ranging from Kevin Durant and Chris Paul to Devin Booker, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler while working as an assistant in the Association.

“I’ve played with some of the best players this game has ever had, and they all have the same thing in common in terms of how they approach it and how much they study the game, and how much they want to be coached. I see a lot of similarities in his mentality.”