BREAKING: Top-5 Prospect A.J. Dybantsa Commits to Kentucky, Electing to Reclassify and Join Wildcats for 2024-25 Season
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a seismic shift that recalibrates the landscape of college basketball, Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) superstar A.J. Dybantsa, the nation’s top-ranked small forward and a consensus top-5 prospect, announced his commitment to the University of Kentucky on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-8 wing, whose recruitment was a national saga, chose the Wildcats over finalists BYU and Duke in a televised announcement. In a move that sends an even greater shockwave through the sport, Dybantsa also revealed his intention to reclassify from the 2025 class to 2024, making him eligible to suit up for Head Coach Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats this coming season.
“First, I want to thank God, my family, and my coaches for getting me to this point,” Dybantsa said from his high school gymnasium, a Kentucky hat placed firmly on his head as he concluded a protracted and highly secretive recruitment. “This process has been a blessing, and I’m grateful to all the programs that recruited me. But after a lot of prayer and discussion with my family, I’ve decided that the best place for my development and to achieve my goals is at the University of Kentucky. I’m excited to get to work in Lexington and can’t wait to play for Coach Pope and the Big Blue Nation.”
The commitment is a program-defining victory for first-year head coach Mark Pope. Tasked with the near-impossible job of following the tumultuous one-year tenure of John Calipari, Pope has silenced a chorus of doubters by landing the most significant recruit of the early offseason. In a single afternoon, he has transformed Kentucky from a program in transition to a potential preseason top-10 team and a legitimate national contender.
“This is a monumental day for Kentucky basketball, but it’s an even bigger day for A.J., and we’re just thrilled to be a part of his journey,” Pope said in a statement released by the university. “A.J. is a transcendent talent with an incredible work ethic and character to match. He fits exactly the kind of culture we are building here—one of toughness, skill, and selflessness. Big Blue Nation, get ready. We’re just getting started.”
Dybantsa’s decision, culminating in a private weekend official visit to Lexington that was kept entirely under wraps from the media and other programs, represents a stunning coup for Pope and his staff. Many national analysts had predicted Dybantsa would follow the pipeline to BYU, where his family has strong ties, or choose the established blue-blood allure of Duke and Coach Jon Scheyer. Instead, he was swayed by Pope’s vision for his professional future and the opportunity to be the centerpiece of a new era in one of college basketball’s most hallowed arenas.
On the court, Dybantsa is the prototypical modern NBA wing, drawing early comparisons to a young Paul George. He possesses a smooth, explosive athleticism that allows him to finish above the rim with ease, combined with a polished and evolving offensive game. His jump shot is reliable from beyond the arc, he can create his own shot off the dribble, and his length makes him a disruptive defender with immense potential. As a junior at Stepinac, he averaged 22.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, dominating the Nike EYBL circuit with his Pro Skills club team.
“A.J. is the kind of player who changes a program’s fortune overnight,” said ESPN National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi. “His combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ is elite. He’s not just a scorer; he’s a complete offensive weapon who can play multiple positions. For Mark Pope to secure this level of talent in his first few months on the job, against that level of competition, is a statement to the entire country that Kentucky is still Kentucky.”
The reclassification adds another layer of intrigue. By moving up a year, Dybantsa immediately becomes one of the youngest players in college basketball, yet also one of the most talented. He joins a Kentucky recruiting class that was already solid but now vaults into the national top-10. His presence on the wing gives Pope a go-to scorer and a primary option around whom he can build his offensive and defensive schemes.
For the broader college basketball world, Dybantsa’s choice is a clear signal that the allure of playing for Kentucky, even in a post-Calipari era, remains potent. In the new landscape of the transfer portal and NIL, securing a high school prospect of this caliber is increasingly rare and significant. It reaffirms Kentucky’s status as a destination for the nation’s premier talent.
“This is the recruit that every new coach dreams of landing,” said 247Sports National Analyst Travis Branham. “It validates Pope’s pitch, it energizes the fanbase, and it immediately makes Kentucky a must-watch team. They were looking for a new identity, and in A.J. Dybantsa, they just found it. The pressure will be immense, but he has the talent and demeanor to handle it.”
As the news broke, social media erupted with reactions from elated Kentucky fans and stunned observers across the sport. The commitment trended nationally within minutes, a testament to the weight of the decision.
For A.J. Dybantsa, the work begins now. The expectations in Lexington are unlike anywhere else in the sport, and he will be tasked with leading a reloaded Wildcats squad through the gauntlet of the Southeastern Conference. But on this day, in a high school gymnasium nearly a thousand miles away, a young star made his choice, and in doing so, he didn’t just pick a university—he reignited a kingdom and changed the course of a college basketball season before it even began.
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