Freshmen AJ Dybantsa and Koa Peat turned heads in their college debuts, shaking up Sam Vecenie’s first 2026 NBA mock draft.

Even as BYU veteran Richie Saunders struggled from the field, going 4-of-13 for 15 points, Dybantsa was there to pick up the slack. He finished 9-of-18 shooting with six rebounds. He also led BYU in assists and, as Young later joked, he gobbled offensive rebounds to extend some possessions late.

Villanova held BYU to just 29 points, 1 of 6 3-point shooting and a single assist in the second half. Conversely, the Cougars shut down the Wildcats down the stretch, with Willard’s squad failing to score across a nearly five minute period.

Last December, during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, the most ballyhooed high school basketball prospect in America announced his college destination. Only seconds after AJ Dybantsa unzipped his jacket to reveal a blue BYU T-shirt underneath,

The 2025-26 men's college basketball season officially begins on Monday night, and a trio of talented freshmen already garnered the respect of evaluators.

The Villanova Wildcats and BYU Cougars open their season in Las Vegas, Nevada, Monday as part of the Hall of Fame Series.