2026 Recruiting: AJ Dybantsa

[McLovin]

When it comes to recruiting vs Kentucky, I don’t think they have an inherent advantage over us right now “just because they are Kentucky”. We are a hot program and have a “he’s him” coach.

But with certain types of kids each program has its advantages.

A Top 10 recruit that wants to just prep for the NBA as a 1 and done, Kentucky is the school.

A Top 10 recruit who wants to make the league as a lottery pick but try to accomplish something special in college in a 1-2 year career, UConn is the school.

This kid seems to be interested in winning and playing selfless basketball (his Team USA comments stick out). A point in the right direction for the good guys.

 

[Huskyforlife]

When it comes to recruiting vs Kentucky, I don’t think they have an inherent advantage over us right now “just because they are Kentucky”. We are a hot program and have a “he’s him” coach.

But with certain types of kids each program has its advantages.

A Top 10 recruit that wants to just prep for the NBA as a 1 and done, Kentucky is the school.

A Top 10 recruit who wants to make the league as a lottery pick but try to accomplish something special in college in a 1-2 year career, UConn is the school.

This kid seems to be interested in winning and playing selfless basketball (his Team USA comments stick out). A point in the right direction for the good guys.

There’s probably a total of 0 kids in your second category. Every kid leaves for the NBA the moment it’s offered to them.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

The difference between Kentucky and us in recruiting is if a kid really cares about the college game or not.

And tbh, would you want a chance at a title or a chance at a supermax as a top recruit?

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't really have an opinion on Kentucky's recruiting but I saw this today, fwiw.

Kentucky's standing in the landscape shifting?​

Kentucky has spun its wheels on the court in recent years, and its influence in the recruiting realm anecdotally feels as if it has shrunk a bit. UK put together the No. 1 class in 2023, but its early start to 2024 is less promising with only one commit and a No. 20 ranking nationally. Its fortunes could change with Karter Knox (former UK star Kevin Knox's brother) and Tre Johnson -- both five-star talents -- giving the Wildcats consideration, but the way this is headed, it's going to be a challenge for them to finish with the No. 1 class -- or to even contend for No. 1 given how well Duke and UNC are positioned.

College basketball recruiting: Duke's unfinished business, Kentucky's slow start among storylines to watch

Elsewhere, can upstart Rutgers stay hot with its 2024 class, or will traditional blue bloods make a late run?

www.cbssports.com

 

[McLovin]

There’s probably a total of 0 kids in your second category. Every kid leaves for the NBA the moment it’s offered to them.

Stephon Castle.

 

[navery12]

Stephon Castle.

He's a projected top 10 pick who is going to leave for the NBA at the first opportunity available to him

 

[auror]

I don't really have an opinion on Kentucky's recruiting but I saw this today, fwiw.

Kentucky's standing in the landscape shifting?​

Kentucky has spun its wheels on the court in recent years, and its influence in the recruiting realm anecdotally feels as if it has shrunk a bit. UK put together the No. 1 class in 2023, but its early start to 2024 is less promising with only one commit and a No. 20 ranking nationally. Its fortunes could change with Karter Knox (former UK star Kevin Knox's brother) and Tre Johnson -- both five-star talents -- giving the Wildcats consideration, but the way this is headed, it's going to be a challenge for them to finish with the No. 1 class -- or to even contend for No. 1 given how well Duke and UNC are positioned.

College basketball recruiting: Duke's unfinished business, Kentucky's slow start among storylines to watch

Elsewhere, can upstart Rutgers stay hot with its 2024 class, or will traditional blue bloods make a late run?

www.cbssports.com

They must be pretty desperate for clicks running this as an article (I say that not having clicked, so let me know if I'm in error and it's worth clicking).

 

[Umami Zen]

AJ can get his shot--get to his spots--anytime he wants.. Makes the game look pretty easy vs the best competition.. See some KD in his bag of tricks. Hope Mom can get him to stay focused on his promise to play CBB first.. Lets keep him in NE Danny.

 

[McLovin]

He's a projected top 10 pick who is going to leave for the NBA at the first opportunity available to him

Right, but my original point wasn’t that and maybe I phrased it wrong.

I meant that there are sure fire 1 and dones not yet eligible for the NBA who go to Kentucky as a training camp. And then there are likely 1 and dones (sometimes, 2 year guys) in the top 10 who also value accomplishing something in their college career, making UConn a great fit. Aka Stephon Castle.

Kyle Filipowski (Duke) is another guy with that mentality, and he chose to stay a second year.

 

[McLovin]

There’s probably a total of 0 kids in your second category. Every kid leaves for the NBA the moment it’s offered to them.

Clingan would have likely been a late 1st round draft pick this year and chose to come back. Absolutely would have been drafted and made a roster regardless.

Kyle Filipowski at Duke is another guy who passed up the NBA to return to college…

 

[HooperScooper]

They must be pretty desperate for clicks running this as an article (I say that not having clicked, so let me know if I'm in error and it's worth clicking).

Don't all of these college basketball websites have clickbait articles? What else are they going to write about during the summer? It's about recruiting in general because they're at the Peach Jam Tournament.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Clingan would have likely been a late 1st round draft pick this year and chose to come back. Absolutely would have been drafted and made a roster regardless.

Kyle Filipowski at Duke is another guy who passed up the NBA to return to college…

Clingan wasn’t a top 10 recruit. Kyle was in the Andre Jackson range if I remember correctly.

 

[BGesus4]

Clingan wasn’t a top 10 recruit. Kyle was in the Andre Jackson range if I remember correctly.

Assuming you mean draft range by recruiting. Pretty sure Filipowski was pegged as late lottery to 20s.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Assuming you mean draft range by recruiting. Pretty sure Filipowski was pegged as late lottery to 20s.

Was he? I just remember his decision being tough cause he might not go first round, hence going back to Duke. He could be the rare exception I guess.

 

[TheHorde]

Clingan and Filipowski would have been first round locks if they came out in 2023. I’d say that qualifies as turning it down the moment it was offered to them. At least temporarily with the goal of improving their stock and having a longer college experience.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Zags says he Kyle was a projected top 20 pick before returning.


Makes sense for Clingan to come back though with him being able to move from fringe 1st rounder to top 10 pick.

Projected top-20 pick Kyle Filipowksi announces return to Duke | Zagsblog

By SAM LANCE Duke’s leading scorer and […]

www.zagsblog.com

 

[TheHorde]

Zags says he Kyle was a projected top 20 pick before returning.


Makes sense for Clingan to come back though with him being able to move from fringe 1st rounder to top 10 pick.

Projected top-20 pick Kyle Filipowksi announces return to Duke | Zagsblog

By SAM LANCE Duke’s leading scorer and […]

www.zagsblog.com

I think both were smart to come back. There’s a strong argument to be made for underclassmen that can improve or develop portions of their game to make themselves lottery picks. By many accounts next year’s draft is not as deep as this year’s. That’s a smart business move to wait until next year as well. The difference in guaranteed money between being taken say 8th overall versus 28th is huge. Plus teams are investing so heavily in lottery picks that it’s in their interest to give the player the best chance to succeed possible and a long leash.

 

[Scrutineer]

Clingan wasn’t a top 10 recruit. Kyle was in the Andre Jackson range if I remember correctly.

Filipowski was rated way above AJ (#4 on 247) and, with the year he had (he was the guy that made Duke look good), it was surprising he didn't leave early.

 

[BuffaloHusky]

It's funny because I don't understand all of the Filipowski hype. He's a tremendous college player but who is his NBA comp? Physically or athletically is there a huge athletic difference between him and Adama or Drew Timme?

Re: Donovan... Walker Kessler is his comp and Kessler has proven to be incredibly valuable and I'm betting Donovan will be better.

 

[navery12]

It's funny because I don't understand all of the Filipowski hype. He's a tremendous college player but who is his NBA comp? Physically or athletically is there a huge athletic difference between him and Adama or Drew Timme?

Re: Donovan... Walker Kessler is his comp and Kessler has proven to be incredibly valuable and I'm betting Donovan will be better.

Yes, they're not remotely similar physically or athletically. Sanogo and Timme are undersized, back to the basket bigs who do their work mostly in the paint. Adama showed some range this year, Timme always took a small amount of 3's. Filipowski is a 7 footer who stretches the floor and can shoot. He took as many 3's as a freshman at Duke (124) as Sanogo and Timme took in 7 years combined in college basketball (129)

 

[auror]

Don't all of these college basketball websites have clickbait articles? What else are they going to write about during the summer? It's about recruiting in general because they're at the Peach Jam Tournament.

I mean there's a difference between writing regular summer articles and writing a "panic at Kentucky" article when only 9 of the top 25 have even committed.

 

[HooperScooper]

I mean there's a difference between writing regular summer articles and writing a "panic at Kentucky" article when only 9 of the top 25 have even committed.

That was only a very small part of the article. How can somebody make a comment on an article that they didn't read? Lol

 

[husky429]

He has 17/5/1 in the first half right now. 10/10 from the FT line. This kid is the real friggen deal doing it against guys older than him and dominating.

 

[superjohn]

This kid is good as hell. It's kind of crazy how noticeably better Flagg, Dybantsa, and Boozer are than the older guys in high school.

 

[auror]

This kid is good as hell. It's kind of crazy how noticeably better Flagg, Dybantsa, and Boozer are than the older guys in high school.

Flagg should probably reclass into 2024. He's draft eligible in 2025, so there's little reason he shouldn't, unless he wants to form a super team at Duke in 2025 with Boozers.