Meet A.J. Dybantsa. You may not have heard of him before, but you are about to. A.J. is a 16 year old NBA prospect from Brockton, Massachusetts with a very bright future. A.J. has just been ranked #1 in his class by ESPN which is making him the player to watch nationwide. A.J. has been getting a lot of attention from both the local and national media, even being the Social Buzz Player of the Week from Yahoo back in December.
A.J. attends the St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, but he is from Brockton and proud of it. He recently told WCVB, he’s “Just a regular Brockton kid, just trying to make it out. I use basketball as a way to, you know, make it out. Hopefully, I can make it and give back to Brockton.”
A.J. has been very vocal on social media about the college offers he’s already getting, despite the fact that he’s just 16 years old and a Freshman. The National Recruiting Director for ESPN had this to say about A.J.: “It’s hard not to love his wiry and quick-twitch frame with his length and dynamism. At a very young age, he is already a multi-position defender with plus quickness. When it comes to scoring, his transition ability is advanced and so is his drive game. His jumper has shown early promise and his handle has the fluidity for him to evade and get past defenders. He’s got a quick release on his jumper and rebounds with explosive vertical ability and length. He also elevates well in tight spaces for tip-in put backs. I see him as the favorite to become the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2026.”
There’s a lot to know about this local phenomenon. We’re excited to see just how far this young man’s career will go and love the fact that he’s taking his home city of Brockton along for the ride, never forgetting where he came from. Meet A.J. Dybantsa.
