Overview
- Playing on the Celtics’ floor, the BYU freshman scored 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting with six rebounds against No. 3 UConn, pouring in 21 after halftime in a narrow loss.
- Coaches, media and fans lauded the performance, with UConn’s Dan Hurley calling his second‑half shot‑making as high‑level as college basketball offers.
- Pre‑game comments about fitting alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown amplified hometown draft chatter, which remains speculative given Boston’s likely draft position.
- Dybantsa said Durant vouched for Kevin Young and encouraged a BYU visit, a conversation he credits as influential in choosing the Cougars’ NBA‑modeled program.
- Through BYU’s strong start, he is averaging 18.7 points on 57.5% shooting with 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while his Players’ Tribune essay set a championship‑or‑bust expectation.