Potential No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa declares for NBA draft - ESPN

AJ Dybantsa, the projected No. 1 pick this summer, has declared for the 2026 NBA draft, he announced on YouTube.

In the video, Dybantsa read a letter he wrote when he was seven years old, hoping to become a basketball player one day. Now, the BYU star will enter this summer's draft as the top prospect, per ESPN. He'll likely battle Kansas star Darryn Peterson for that top spot.

«See ya'll on draft night,» Dybantsa said in the video.

Dybantsa led the nation in scoring this season and carried BYU to the NCAA tournament after Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending injury in January.

In multiple interviews ahead of the draft, Dybantsa had hinted that he might stay in college for another year. He also said his mother wanted him to graduate from college, which could have influenced his decision before he ultimately chose to enter the draft.

During a press conference in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts, at Edgar B. Davis Community School, where he attended elementary school. Dybantsa said he still values education and hopes to use it in the future.

«Even if you're not a famous actor or athlete, you can still do great things with education,» he said.

He said his goal is to enjoy the same fame that former Brockton, Mass., natives Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, both hall of fame boxers, had as they represented the city.

«It feels good. I've had a lot of NBA players tell me that it really starts when you get there,» he said. «I'm looking forward to just being a rookie.»

The Utah Jazz could end up with the No. 1 pick, positioning Dybantsa to potentially become a star only an hour's drive from where he played college basketball in Provo.

But he said Thursday he doesn't have a preferred destination in the NBA.

«Whatever