Brockton's AJ Dybantsa and BYU will play UConn at TD Garden in Hall of Fame Series

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2 days ago

AJ Dybantsa on his decision to go to BYU, life as projected No. 1 pick in NBA Draft
AJ Dybantsa on his decision to go to BYU, life as projected No. 1 pick in NBA Draft
AJ Dybantsa on his decision to go to BYU, life as projected No. 1 pick in NBA Draft
AJ Dybantsa, a Brockton native and this year's No. 1 recruit in college basketball, will get to play in front of a Boston crowd during the 2025 NCAA season. Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars will square off against the UConn Huskies at TD Garden this November.
BYU and UConn will take over the home of the Boston Celtics on Nov. 15 for a showcase showdown, the two schools announced Thursday. The game is part of the Hall of Fame Series, and will feature two teams expected to be among the best squads in college ball in 2025.
AJ Dybantsa returning to Boston
Dybantsa was born in Brockton but played just one season of high school ball locally. He played his freshman year at St. Sebastian's in Needham before he transferred to Prolific Prep in California -- one of the country's top basketball academies. Dybantsa finished off his high school career at Utah Prep Academy.
It was with Utah Prep that Dybantsa returned to Boston last November, when he scored 18 points and had six rebounds in a 79-71 win over Highland School of Virginia at Emmanuel College. Dybantsa was the top high school recruit last year, and announced he'd be playing his college ball at BYU on ESPN's First Take in December.
There will be plenty of hype around Dybantsa throughout what will probably be his lone season at BYU. The 6-foot-9 forward is seen as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, though a lot can change throughout a college basketball season.
Alex Karaban playing in front of home crowd too
While Dybantsa will get the bulk of the attention come November, the game will also be a homecoming for UConn forward Alex Karaban.
The Southborough native played at Algonquin Regional in Northborough and New Hampton School in New Hampshire before wrapping up his high school career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was a four-star recruit when he committed to UConn, and played a critical role on the Huskies teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024.
This November's matchup at TD Garden will be just the second time BYU and UConn have played each other. The two schools first matched up in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, which the 5-seeded UConn won, 58-53.