College basketball rankings: BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa is starting to play like a top NBA Draft prospect
The Cougars' star struggled for a few games but has turned it around and is on a hot streak lately
By
Gary Parrish
•
1 min read
After back-to-back games last month in which AJ Dybantsa shot below 38% from the field, the five-star freshman has mostly been cooking. In BYU's past five contests, all of them wins, Dybantsa is averaging 23.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 60% from the field.
Consider, for some context, that Duke's Cameron Boozer is averaging fewer points, fewer assists and shooting a lower percentage from the field on the season than Dybantsa's numbers over those past five contests -- and Boozer is the clear leader in the CBS Sports National Player of the Year race.
Simply put, Dybantsa has been great over the past three weeks. And, if the season ended today, in my mind, he'd be a First Team All-American as the leading scorer and rebounder on a team that's 10-1 and No. 6 in Friday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Michigan remains No. 1 for the 10th consecutive day.
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Next up for BYU is Friday's game with Abilene Christian that'll tip at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT. If you watch, in addition to Dybantsa, keep an eye on Richie Saunders, who is having the best season of his four-year college career. The 6-5 guard is averaging a career-high 18.1 points and a career-high 5.4 rebounds while shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.2% from 3-point range. Last time out, Saunders got 24 points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists in a 93-57 win over Pacific that extended BYU's winning streak to seven games.
The Cougars' lone defeat is a 86-84 loss to UConn.
UConn is No. 5 in the Top 25 And 1.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 29 points and nine assists in Saturday's 101-83 win at Maryland. The Wolverines' next game is Sunday against La Salle. | -- | 10-0 |
| 2 |  | Brayden Burries finished with 20 points and two steals in Tuesday's 96-62 win over Abilene Christian. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against San Diego State. | -- | 10-0 |
| 3 |  | Cameron Boozer finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 97-73 win over Lipscomb. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday against Texas Tech. | -- | 11-0 |
| 4 |  | Milan Momcilovic finished with 18 points and five rebounds in Sunday's 78-53 win over Eastern Illinois. The Cyclones' next game is Sunday against Long Beach State. | -- | 11-0 |
| 5 |  | Tarris Reed finished with 16 points and five rebounds in Tuesday's 79-60 win over Butler. The Huskies' next game is Sunday at DePaul. | -- | 11-1 |
| 6 |  | Richie Saunders finished with 24 points and five steals in Tuesday's 93-57 win over Pacific. The Cougars' next game is Friday against Abilene Christian. | -- | 10-1 |
| 7 |  | Oscar Cluff finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 79-59 win over Marquette. The Boilermakers' next game is Saturday against Auburn. | -- | 10-1 |
| 8 |  | Braden Huff finished with 37 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's 98-70 win over Campbell. The Zags' next game is Sunday against Oregon. | -- | 11-1 |
| 9 |  | Jaxon Kohler finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 92-69 win over Toledo. The Spartans' next game is Saturday against Oakland. | -- | 10-1 |
| 10 |  | Henri Veesaar finished with 26 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday's 77-58 win over East Tennessee State. The Tar Heels' next game is Saturday against Ohio State. | -- | 10-1 |
| 11 |  | Trevon Brazile finished with 26 points and three assists in Tuesday's 108-80 win over Queens University. The Razorbacks' next game is Saturday against Houston. | -- | 9-2 |
| 12 |  | Flory Bidunga finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's 73-49 win over Towson. The Jayhawks' next game is Monday against Davidson. | -- | 9-3 |
| 13 |  | Kingston Flemings finished with 15 points and three steals in Saturday's 99-57 win over New Orleans. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against Arkansas. | -- | 10-1 |
| 14 |  | Pryce Sandfort finished with 32 points and three assists in Saturday's 83-80 win at Illinois. The Cornhuskers' next game is Sunday against North Dakota. | -- | 11-0 |
| 15 |  | Duke Miles finished with 22 points and five assists in Wednesday's 77-70 overtime win at Memphis. The Commodores next game is Sunday at Wake Forest. | -- | 11-0 |
| 16 |  | Labaron Philon finished with 26 points and six assists in Wednesday's 92-79 win over South Florida. The Crimson Tide's next game is Sunday against Kennesaw State. | -- | 8-3 |
| 17 |  | Tomislav Ivisic missed two of the three shots he attempted in Saturday's 83-80 loss to Nebraska. The Illini's next game is Monday against Missouri. | -- | 8-3 |
| 18 |  | Keyshawn Hall finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 92-78 win over Chattanooga. The Tigers' next game is Saturday against Purdue. | -- | 8-3 |
| 19 |  | Ja'Kobi Gillespie finished with 23 points and five assists in Tuesday's 83-62 win over Louisville. The Vols' next game is Sunday against Gardner Webb. | -- | 8-3 |
| 20 |  | Isaac McKneely missed eight of the 10 shots he attempted in Tuesday's 83-62 loss at Tennessee. The Cardinals' next game is Saturday against Montana. | -- | 9-2 |
| 21 |  | Joson Sanon finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday's 79-66 win over DePaul. The Red Storm's next game is Saturday against Kentucky. | -- | 7-3 |
| 22 |  | LeJuan Watts finished with 36 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 101-90 win over Northern Colorado. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday against Duke. | -- | 8-3 |
| 23 |  | Bennett Stirtz missed eight of the 11 shots he attempted on Thursday's 66-62 loss at Iowa State. The Hawkeyes' next game is Sunday against Western Michigan. | -- | 9-2 |
| 24 |  | Sam Lewis finished with 15 points and five rebounds in Tuesday's 84-60 win over Maryland Eastern Shore. The Cavaliers' next game is Saturday against Maryland. | -- | 9-1 |
| 25 |  | Mouhamed Dioubate finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 72-60 win over Indiana. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against St. John's. | -- | 7-4 |
| 26 |  | Marquel Sutton finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 89-77 wn over SMU. The Tigers' next game is Friday against Southeastern Louisiana. | -- | 9-1 |
