BYU’s Dybantsa nets freshman-record 40 in Big 12 tourney win

BYU ahead AJ Dybantsa, duke standout Cameron Boozer and fellow freshman Darryn Peterson of Kansas have made it clear this faculty basketball season that they intend to be the primary three gamers chosen in the NBA draft this summer time.

Dybantsa desires to show in the course of the postseason that he deserves to be No. 1.

He obtained off to fairly the beginning Tuesday evening, pouring in 40 factors to go together with 9 rebounds and 6 assists, and prepared his No. 10-seeded Cougars to a 105-91 victory over No. 15 seed Kansas State in the primary spherical of the Big 12 event.

“Today I was just trying to focus on a win,” Dybantsa stated. “Whatever it took to just get the win.”

Dybantsa set the Big 12 event scoring document for a freshman, passing the mark Kevin Durant (37) established when Texas performed Kansas in 2007.

But the highlights did not cease there. Among them:

• He scored the second-most factors in a Big 12 event recreation (Texas Tech’s Mike Singletary scored 43 in 2009).

• He made 15 discipline targets, a Big 12 event document.

• He grew to become the fourth Division I freshman in the previous 30 seasons with 40 factors in a convention event recreation.

• It was his sixth 35-point recreation this season, breaking a tie with Oklahoma’s Trae Young and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley for many in Big 12 historical past.

• He scored or assisted on 54 factors, essentially the most “points created” in a recreation in Big 12 event historical past.

• And he grew to become the primary participant with 35 factors and 5 assists in a Big 12 event recreation.

“What he was doing was impressive because I thought he was scoring every way possible,” BYU coach Kevin Young stated. “I think it was probably one of his most complete games — outside of the lob he threw short to Richie Saunders left the Cougars (22-10) shedding out by a tiebreaker for seeding and dropping all the best way to tenth for the event. That meant a first-round recreation in opposition to Kansas State on Wednesday evening, when all of the heavyweights in the league have been resting at motels or at house.

Dybantsa had 21 factors by halftime, however the Cougars led solely 50-49. And that they had that lead solely due to a turnover that led to his buzzer-beating dunk; Robert Wright III had an open dunk of his personal however waited to present Dybantsa the simple factors as a substitute.

“It’s something we’ve really been on our guys about all year,” Young stated. “We have talent, obviously, and we just try to make simple plays and play together, and sometimes that’s easier said than done. I thought AJ made a lot of unselfish plays as well.”

When BYU wanted a basket, although, Dybantsa was effective with being slightly bit egocentric.

After the Wildcats closed inside 64-57, he scored on back-to-back journeys down the ground. When Taj Manning hit a 3-pointer to get Kansas State inside 68-63, the freshman threw down a dunk for BYU. And when Manning scored moments later, and BYU was clinging to a 73-67 lead, Dybantsa transformed an acrobatic three-point play for some respiratory room.

The solely cloud on the evening was the truth that BYU did not draw back from Kansas State till late, and Dybantsa wound up taking part in all however 3½ minutes. With a second-round matchup in opposition to No. 7 West Virginia looming Wednesday, and three extra video games after that if the Cougars are to chop down the nets by Saturday evening, he might use all the remainder he might get.

Then once more, it is onerous to show you need to be the No. 1 decide in the draft by sitting on the bench.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.