Nation’s number one recruit chose BYU over Alabama, the money involved
- Hoop Dawgs
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Court Report: The details on why AJ Dybantsa chose BYU and how much NIL money the No. 1 recruit is set to make
“Alabama had a long-standing connection: Crimson Tide assistant Preston Murphy coached Dybantsa at the grassroots level previously, and that seemingly gave the Tide a real shot, dating back to the beginning of Dybantsa's recruitment more than three years ago. Last week, the stakes felt upped when Dybantsa's father, Ace, decided to attend the Alabama-North Carolina game on his own, without AJ in attendance. In reality, Dybantsa's decision was in. He signed a national letter of intent with BYU on Nov. 20, sources said. (This isn't sitting well, after the fact, with Alabama and North Carolina.)
So, how did a program that was in the WCC practically 15 minutes ago wind up landing the No. 1 player in the Class of 2025? Is it about the money?
To an extent, yes, but it turns out that BYU, North Carolina and Alabama were all able to meet the asking price, which was approximately $5 million, according to sources at schools on Dybantsa's list of finalists. That deal is considered the largest for any college basketball player ever. That NIL deal will come directly from BYU's collective, according to Leonard Armato, Dybantsa's business adviser.
"The money for every [school] was the same," Armato told CBS Sports. "The decision wasn't a money decision as much as it was a culture fit, a decision for the family, basketball, all those things that should be the determining factors. There was a certain money threshold, but once you got to that, it was about 'how comfortable do I feel for me as a basketball player and my family.'"
Armato is a former NBA agent who famously represented Shaquille O'Neal (and still does), helping Shaq build out a massive brand during his playing days. Dybantsa does not have an agent and is primarily advised by his parents, Ace and Chelsea, in addition to Armato.
Dybantsa also has deals with Red Bull and Nike.
"They're substantial," Armato said of the Nike and Red Bull contracts, though he didn't want to provide exact numbers. It's believed those two deals combine for at least another $1 million. Armato said that although the Red Bull deal runs through Dybantsa's first year of college, the Nike contract ends next June, meaning Dybantsa will be on the open market to negotiate again five months before he ever plays for BYU.
"His deal will be up before he goes to college and he will be a free agent in the athletic footwear market," Armato said.
That will serve to ratchet up the hype next summer.
With this much earning potential, Dybantsa never had the urge to play for a blue blood and be the next blue-chip guy to add to a wall in a team facility of players drafted into the NBA. Historic program prestige didn't register as a major factor with him; BYU was the leader for months.
In choosing BYU, Dybantsa is staying local in this sense: The Massachusetts native is spending his final year of high school at Utah Prep, a move that also came with significant financial benefits for the Dybantsa family. It's fair to say no basketball player has been paid more to play hoops before ever stepping on a college court than Dybantsa, but that is the era we are now in and that is what indicates just how great he stands to be.
It's also not a stretch to say that had BYU not hired Phoenix Suns lead assistant Kevin Young in April, Dybantsa could be going to Alabama or North Carolina. Young's first time seeing him play was in the May NCAA live period, but Dybantsa immediately became the top priority for him more than a month prior, when he got the job. Young coached Kevin Durant, who is Dybantsa's favorite player. The 43-year-old was on a fast track to being an NBA coach but opted against that lifestyle in an effort to coach fewer games and be on the road less so he could be around his family more.
He brings pro connections and credibility in a way that resonated heavily with the Dybantsa family. Ace was the point of contact for almost all of the recruitment process. AJ's communication with coaches was minimized, though he took visits to all of his finalists and schools beyond that. The Dybantsas visited BYU shortly after Young was hired in April and took three visits total in the past five months. He was last on campus for BYU's home game vs. Idaho on Nov. 16. He committed four days later.
"A lot of it had to do with the style," Armato said. "Kevin Young comes from the NBA and they run NBA-style practices and NBA-style offense and they pattern their play after the NBA."
BYU having multi-billionaire Ryan Smith as a booster (he owns the Utah Jazz and new NHLfranchise, the Utah Hockey Club) also helped significantly. Danny Ainge (who was the GM of the Boston Celtics as Dybantsa emerged as a special talent in New England) and Smith, both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were the key players in getting Young hired at BYU. Their influence at BYU (Ainge and Smith are both alumni; Dybantsa is arguably the best BYU recruit since Ainge in the 1970s) continued to contribute as a swaying factor in Dybantsa's road to picking the Cougars, sources said.
What a fascinating development for college basketball all of this is. It's possible BYU will have the face of the sport a year from now, and thought it's not unusual for top-rated prospects to go to uncommon destinations, the outcomes don't always lead to huge team success. (Recent examples, of varying results, including Cade Cunningham to Oklahoma State, Nick Smith to Arkansas, Ben Simmons to LSU and Anthony Edwards to Georgia.)
We'll see how things change, or don't, in the coming years as the House case settlement (with schools paying revenues to all their athletes) stands to impact the way NIL collectives are run. The big takeaway from Dybantsa and recruiting in 2024 is: If you're going to recruit top five-level players, you need to be able to rally millions of dollars to pay them moving forward. Even before they've proven a thing. Might not seem right or fair to some, but this is the free market at work and this is the new world of college athletic. Dybantsa is one extreme example for a template moving forward. He's a revolutionary prospect from an earnings perspective. As for what matters most, we'll find out next year if he's a revolutionary player, the type who's worth the wait, hype ... and money.”
Court Report: The details on why AJ Dybantsa chose BYU and how much NIL money the No. 1 recruit is set to make
Matt Norlander's weekly college basketball notebook also takes a look at how absurdly good the SEC has become this season
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