Yuki Iwamura, AP Photo<\/p>\n
AJ Dybantsa, right, poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, left, after being selected by the Washington Wizards as the first pick in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (Yuki Iwamura, AP Photo)<\/p>\n
Former BYU star AJ Dybantsa made his much-anticipated NBA debut Thursday night when the Washington Wizards squared off versus Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas. Dybantsa was the No. 1 selection in the 2026 NBA draft with Peterson selected No. 2, and the 6-foot-9 former Cougar showed all those in attendance more than a glimpse of his great potential.<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-9 forward finished with a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds while wowing the home crowd with a spectacular through-the-lane-rim-rocking dunk during the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Those in attendance were impressed, including ESPN analysts Zach Kram and Ben Goliver, who gave a full rundown of Dybantsa\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cDybantsa\u2019s offensive approach in his summer league debut can be summed up in two words: aggression and confidence,\u201d they wrote. \u201cThe No. 1 pick was the Wizards\u2019 lead ball handler for large swaths of Thursday\u2019s game, and he wasn\u2019t shy about calling his own number. He consistently got to his spots, even against Utah\u2019s aggressive help defense, en route to scoring a game-high 27 points in 26 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dybantsa\u2019s game certainly wasn\u2019t perfect however, and did receive at least some criticism.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all of those spots were good spots, however,\u201d Kram and Goliver assessed. \u201cJust as he did in college, Dybantsa lived off a difficult shot diet Thursday, with far too many contested midrange jumpers. His 7-for-18 showing from the field exposes a clear area in need of refinement. (He also sat out the final clutch moments of the game because of what appeared to be leg cramps.) But the ease with which Dybantsa penetrated the paint and his ability to get to the free throw line \u2014 his eight attempts would have been 15 if summer league\u2019s rules weren\u2019t condensing every free throw trip to one shot \u2014 are extremely bullish signs for his scoring prowess at the NBA level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peterson finished with 21 points, three assists and three rebounds in the 92-88 Washington Wizard win.<\/p>\n
Academic accolades<\/p>\n
Fourteen BYU swim and dive athletes achieved Scholar All-America status from the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), the organization announced on July 2.<\/p>\n
Eight members of the men\u2019s team and six from the women\u2019s team were honored for their academic and athletic achievements during the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n
To qualify for CSCAA Scholar All-America first-team status, student-athletes must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher and participate in the NCAA Championships. Second-team recognition is awarded to those who meet the GPA threshold and achieve a \u201cB\u201d time standard or qualify for a diving zone meet.<\/p>\n
Nelson, a South Jordan, Utah native, posted a 3.73 GPA and was the only Cougar named a first-team Scholar All-American. The school record holder in four events and three relays, Nelson also competed at the NCAA National Championships in three events this season.<\/p>\n
For the men, Darwin Anderson, Jacob Ballard, Will Bonnett, Max Kleinman, Mattia Reina, Evan Vandersluid and Ashton Sparks each were named second-team Scholar All-Americans.<\/p>\n
On the women\u2019s side, Cher Patrick, Victoria Schreiber, Haylee Tiffany, Melissa Turlea, Lucy Warnick and Brooklyn Goeckeritz each were honored as second-team Scholar All-Americans.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 Ogden Newspapers of Utah, LLC | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. STE 1058, Provo, UT 84601 <\/p>\n
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