AJ Dybantsa broke a record once held by a BYU legend vs. Utah. Here’s why Kevin Young says he’s now the ‘clear-cut No. 1′ pick in the NBA draft.

With 11 minutes remaining in the second half, AJ Dybantsa looked up at BYU’s scoreboard, as the Cougar faithful roared around him.

Everything was flowing. His teammates were telling him to stay aggressive.

But he wasn’t sure then that he could break a BYU freshman record long held by legend Danny Ainge or how close he was to scoring 43 points in No. 13 BYU’s 91-78 win over Utah on Saturday.

“When I hit 26 points, [Rob Wright III] and [Tyler Mrus] were saying ‘keep being aggressive,’” Dybantsa said postgame. “But Tyler actually said, ‘Yo, you better get 40.’”

“I looked up at the scoreboard ... and I was like ‘I might be able to get it.’ And I kept going off. I kept hitting shots.”

BYU’s student section was asking for it.

“We want 40. We want 40. We want 40,” The ROC students shouted to heralded No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa in The Marriott Center on Saturday.

With 38 points already stowed away in his knapsack, Dybantsa heeded their calls. The 6-foot-9 forward called for the ball after setting a screen for Rob Wright at the top of the key. He faked left and stepped back on Utah guard Terrence Brown from the 3-point line, netting his 41st point of the night with 3:12 left in the second half.

“I just wanted to see him get it,” Wright III said of his pass to the freshman. “I know we talked about it before the game. ... To see him actually go out there and get it today, it was just a great feeling. I was super happy for him.

Dybantsa wanted a little bit more though.

A possession later the freshman slipped past a flailing Runnin’ Ute defender before rocketing through the air for a one-handed jam.

The Cougars home arena erupted. Dybantsa pumped his fist and belted out a celebratory roar at midcourt.

He had secured his 43rd and final points of the night. Dybantsa shattered Ainge’s record for the most points scored by a BYU freshman in a single game (36 points, set in 1977).

“He’s a generational talent, and he showed what he’s capable of tonight,” Utah head coach Alex Jensen said after the game. “There’s no telling how good he could get.

“The sky’s the limit.”

Before BYU’s win, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Houston’s Kingston Flemings — two freshmen who are potential NBA draft picks — secured their own 40-point games on Saturday.

After BYU’s win, Dybantsa became the third freshman of the day to secure the mark. He was also watching Flemings in BYU’s locker room before the rivalry game.

“I saw Kingston live when he hit that 42 mark,” Dybantsa said. “These freshmen are going crazy. I feel like we have a crazy class.

“I think we have one of the best classes in recent years. It feels good. I’ve been playing against these guys since I was 15 years old.”

While Dybantsa was aware of the high-level performances happening across the country, he had to be reminded of the stakes of the Utah vs. BYU rivalry game.

“I didn’t know too much about the rivalry,” Dybantsa said. “Like, I’m from Boston, but people were just dragging it the whole time talking about ‘Utah this and Utah that.’

“I was like, ‘I guess, I guess I’ll go off for y’all.’”

With Dybantsa’s performance, the Cougars and their No. 1 recruit are back on track following a loss to Texas Tech last week.

BYU still has much to prove with a grueling Big 12 slate ahead of it, including upcoming contests against No. 1 Arizona at home and No. 19 Kansas on the road.

Cougar head coach Kevin Young is certain of one thing following Dybantsa’s career day.

“I think he’s the hands down the clear-cut No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft,” Yoing said. “It was on full display tonight. He was doing it every which way.

“He came out tonight with unfazed mentality and had a clear want to, I think, to just go out and dominate the game.”

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