No. 1 College Basketball Recruit Reacts to Major NBA News

On Tuesday, the NBA announced that San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle had been named its Rookie of the Year for the 2024-25 season.

He averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 26.7 minutes a game, and he gave the Spurs their second Rookie of the Year in the last two seasons after superstar center Victor Wembanyama won the award last year. He was the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft out of UConn.

AJ Dybantsa, the consensus No. 1 high school recruit in the class of 2025, reacted on Instagram by giving Castle his flowers for his promising debut season.

"Stephhh," Dybantsa wrote on Instagram.

AJ Dybantsa, Instagram

Dybantsa is a 6-foot-9 forward who attended Utah Prep this past season. He is originally from Massachusetts, and he had a stint earlier in high school Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif.

He has an outstanding mid-range offensive game, especially off the dribble, but he's developing into a man who can effectively score from all three levels.

In particular, he has improved his ability to attack the basket and finish strong. He also has the potential to become an impact player on the defensive end, especially since he has a wingspan of over seven feet.

Utah Prep Academy forward AJ Dybantsa (3).

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After visiting several prominent college basketball programs, Dybantsa ended up committing to play for Brigham Young in December. That decision will allow him to remain in Utah while playing for a Cougars team that is starting to emerge on the national landscape.

The Cougars joined the Big 12 Conference for the 2023-24 season, and they have made the men's NCAA Tournament in both of the last two campaigns.