Prolific Prep’s five-star small forward AJ Dybantsa reclassified to the Class of 2025, he announced on social media Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Dybantsa, 16, was the No. 1 player in the Class of 2026. He is now eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft instead of 2027.
- The 6-foot-8 Dybantsa averaged 13.7 points, 3.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in just 19 minutes per game for USA Basketball’s U16 squad, which went on to win gold at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship this summer. He will turn 17 on Jan. 29.
- Dybantsa received offers from several schools, including Alabama, Boston College, Georgetown, Georgia Tech and Michigan, among others.
The time is right to officially announce that I have reclassed to the class of 2025 ! @ProlificPrep pic.twitter.com/zbh6uEMLOJ
— AJ Dybantsa (@ADybantsa) October 11, 2023
How special is the 2025 recruiting class?
The 2025 recruiting class was already considered on paper to be one of the better classes over the past decades with the Boozer twins and SG Darryn Peterson, but now adding Dybansta to the fold takes it to another level. In April at the Final Four and the USABJT mini camp, I had several NBA scouts and personnel tell me they thought the 2025 class could be historic and couldn’t wait until those prospects were draft eligible.
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They see several potential NBA All-Stars or All-NBA caliber prospects in that class, at the bare minimum high-value role players. — Tobias Bass, basketball recruiting writer
What’s next for Dybantsa?
Dybansta already holds 14 Division I scholarships and will rack up several more before deciding where he’s going to school or if he will play for the G-League Ignite.
What reclassifying does is put pressure on all the college coaches or professional leagues that are recruiting him to build a relationship and bring him on a visit. Time is ticking, he now has one AAU summer left and two high school seasons left. Who will sign Dybansta? It’s too tough to call right now, but it will be an absolute slugfest to the very end for this highly touted prospect and potential No. 1 draft pick. — Bass
Backstory
Dybantsa was born in Brockton, Mass. He originally attended Saint Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass.
Dybantsa averaged 19.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game during his freshman season at Saint Sebastian’s. He earned Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
Following his freshman season, Dybantsa transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif. He plays alongside Tyran Stokes, the second-ranked player in the Class of 2026.
In July 2023, Dybantsa led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring with 25.8, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.
Reclassification has become a popular trend over the last several years as many top-50 recruits are going to school early like Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina), Jarin Stevenson (Alabama) and Yves Missi (Baylor).
Required reading
(Photo from the FIBA U16 Americas Championship: Courtesy of FIBA)