Duke’s Cameron Boozer ought to nonetheless be thought-about the clear favourite, by means of the primary seven weeks of this season, to win the CBS Sports activities Nationwide Participant of the Yr award. He is been faculty basketball’s finest participant to date, by far.
However right here comes AJ Dybantsa.
The BYU freshman was the star of the primary evening of Week 8, ending with 33 factors, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Monday’s 109-81 win over Jap Washington. Sure, that is a 30-point triple-double — making Dybantsa, who will not flip 19 years outdated till Jan. 29, the youngest participant to document a 30-point triple-double in NCAA historical past.
When you watched, you doubtless know that the very last thing Dybantsa wanted to safe the triple-double was a tenth help. He obtained it with 120 seconds left after Mihailo Boskovic obtained a cross from Dybantsa and sank a 23-foot jumper.
“Thank God for Mihai,” Dybantsa mentioned afterward with a smile.
BYU won’t play once more till the Cougars go to Kansas State every week from Saturday. Which means Dybantsa’s second full month of faculty basketball is within the books, and it was actually not like something we have seen in not less than three many years.
Dybantsa performed six video games in December, all wins, and averaged 27.8 factors, 8.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists whereas taking pictures 79.5% from the sphere. In response to OptaSTATS, that makes Dybantsa the one Division I participant within the final 30 seasons to play not less than 5 video games in a calendar month and end them with averages of 25-plus factors, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists whereas taking pictures higher than 65% from the sphere and going undefeated.
BYU stays No. 5 in Tuesday morning’s up to date CBS Sports activities Prime 25 And 1 every day faculty basketball rankings, the place Michigan is No. 1 for the 14th consecutive day. The Cougars are considered one of three Massive 12 colleges within the high 5 of the Prime 25 And 1 — becoming a member of No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Iowa State.