AJ Dibantsa makes a bold statement about the selection no. 1

ByNBAUSA



BIU Cougars freshman phenom AJ Dibants delivered the kind of performance that reminded everyone why he entered college basketball as one of the most coveted prospects in years. No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class over No. 10 BIU to a a stunning 67-64 victory over the Clemson Tigers at Madison Square Garden.

After the game, The Field of 68’s Rob Dauster asked him if he felt the performance put the nation on notice increasing buzz surrounding Kansas Jayhawks star Darrin Peterson and Duke Blue Devils star Cameron Boozer. Dibantsa responded by still grounding the conversation making a confident statement about his draft appearance.

“They’re great players. I’m just going to play my game every night, and we’ll see the deciding factor when the draft comes,” Dibanca told The Field of 68. “I’m going to bet on myself that I’m going to be the best player I can be. If you ask me who I think is going to be the number one pick, I’m going to pick a great player and they’re going to pick it.”

Dibanca arrived at BIU with huge expectationsthough the early-season hype also largely went to fellow freshmen like Peterson and Boozer. That change contributed to Dibanca being ranked as number 2 or no. 3 in various early NBA mock drafts.

Dibanca’s self-belief matched his production. In the second half alone, he grabbed seven rebounds and assisted on several key possessions. The BIU star scored 22 of his 28 points after halftime as the Cougars erased a 22-point deficit in the Jimmy V Classic.

When Dauster asked him about BIU’s dramatic turnaround against Clemson, Dibantsa explained that the turnaround came from an energy shift.

“I mean, we just played with a higher tempo. In the first half, we came out sluggish, down 20,” Dibanca added. “But we picked it up, played at our pace and are a much better team than we were in the first half.”

The game eventually ended with Robert Wright III drills a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to secure BIU’s largest second half comeback in school history.

With months left in the season, Dibantsa has firmly established himself in the No. 1 pick conversation, and performances like these ensure that the powerful buzz is just getting started.





2025-12-10 06:54:00

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