KANSAS CITY, Mo. — During a thrilling quarterfinal match in the Big 12 tournament, AJ Dybantsa etched his name in history by surpassing Kevin Durant’s long-standing scoring record. Despite BYU’s 73-66 defeat to No. 5 Houston, Dybantsa managed to score his way to 93 total points across three games, dethroning Durant’s record from 2007.
"Everybody knows he's my favorite player," Dybantsa said, expressing the significance of breaking Durant's record. "So it feels good to just break his record."
In a closely contested game, Dybantsa showcased his skills, finishing the night with 26 points. Despite a challenging second half where he struggled with his shooting, his late 3-pointer solidified his record-breaking status.
Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson was quick to acknowledge Dybantsa's talent, highlighting his abilities as a scorer. "[Dybantsa] can shoot. There’s a lot of shooters that can’t score. There’s a lot of guys who can really score, but they can’t shoot," said Sampson. He further praised Dybantsa's shooting mechanics, noting, "If you watch the ball roll off his fingertips and his release at the free throw line, you can tell he’s an elite shooter. He’s going to get better."
BYU coach Kevin Young also lauded Dybantsa’s contributions throughout the season. When questioned about Dybantsa's performance in the second half, Young offered sincere admiration, stating, "He can do everything on the court that you want a basketball player to do. I thought he played a great offensive game. He should have had 40 again."
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Dybantsa in the crucial last 20 minutes. He only managed to score 10 points and went 3-for-10 from the field, exhibiting a fading impact as the game progressed. Despite his impressive stats, Young was vocal about the lack of foul calls in Dybantsa's favor, expressing his frustration.
"I’ll just cut to the chase, right out of the gate," Young stated candidly. "They won the game. But AJ took 10 free throws, and he should have shot 20 free throws minimum in that game." Young was careful to clarify that he was not implying any bias from the officials but simply felt that key calls were overlooked, contributing to frustration and consequently, turnovers for the team.
As BYU awaits its seeding for the NCAA tournament set to be announced on Sunday, the focus will remain on how they can harness Dybantsa's historic achievement to fuel their postseason run. The young star has certainly made a mark this season, and his performance continues to captivate analysts, coaches, and fans alike.