In his brief time in Lexington, new Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope has already changed the program’s attitude from that of previous coach John Calipari. However, he will not change the Wildcats’ intention to recruit forward AJ Dybantsa of Prolific Prep in California, the top-rated player in the Class of 2025 and the likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
Dybantsa is a coveted commodity coming into his senior season, having garnered offers from a number of top institutions. He has received offers from Alabama, Michigan, Connecticut, Baylor, and Duke, but he appears to be most interested in the three schools involved in Calipari’s transfer—Kentucky, Arkansas (where Calipari landed), and USC (where former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman is).
He announced last week at the EYBL in Indianapolis (via ZagsBlog.com) that he expects to visit all three, as well as Oregon and one or two others.
Dybantsa stated that UK is largely operating via his father: “Mark Pope was here. He called my father two days ago, and I spoke with him.
He stated that he intends to keep Kentucky as a top-25 program and believes I am a good fit.
Kentucky Basketball ‘Re-Offered’ Scholarship
Moreover, when Dybantsa was asked directly about scholarship offers from Pope and Kentucky, he confirmed to KSR: “When we got on the call, I received the offer. … I had (John) Calipari first, and now Pope has re-offered me.”
Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 200 pounds, Dybantsa just turned 17 in January. He’s a smooth athlete and an exceptional ballhandler, already attracting the attention of NBA scouts. Many see him as a future star in the league, and while he is expected to be the No. 1 pick in two years, he will face competition from Cameron Boozer, the son of NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.
Cameron’s twin brother, Cayden Boozer, is also a prospect, making them a potential package deal. Kentucky is recruiting them, though it is widely assumed they will choose Duke, where their father played.
In the first 10 games of the EYBL, Boozer has averaged 24.4 points, the highest in the tournament, while Dybantsa has averaged 23.3, ranking third.
AJ Dybantsa a ‘Generational Talent’
Landing Dybantsa, who reclassified to the Class of 2025, would be a huge feather in Pope’s cap, as he is a talented coach who has done an excellent job putting together a Kentucky basketball group on the fly in the aftermath of Calipari’s departure. However, Pope must demonstrate his ability to catch large fish. Dybantsa is the big fish in collegiate recruiting.
Dybantsa, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim, is long and wiry, but also slithery and silky, bearing himself like a guard with the body of a four. A player his size shouldn’t move like that, especially when making the shoots, plays, and defensive stops he does. In an era when the term ‘generational talent’ is overused, he genuinely is one.
According to NBA Draft Room, Dybantsa is the #1 choice in 2026 above Cameron Boozer. The site wrote: “After re-classifying to join the 2025 recruiting class, Dybantsa will now compete with Cameron Boozer for the top pick in the 2026 draft. He’s an outstanding scoring wing who has the potential to become an NBA superstar.”
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