Devin Booker on choosing AJ Dybantsa for BYU: ‘He’s in good hands’

PROVO, Utah – The signing of AJ Dybantsa with BYU has left many in the basketball world wondering how the Cougars did it.

There’s one NBA All-Star who isn’t surprised by the move. This is Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.

Devin Booker sees AJ Dybantsa take his game to the ‘next level’ at BYU

Booker, who famously referred to BYU as “KYU” after Kevin Young was hired as BYU head coach, told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears that Dybantsa would do well at BYU because of Young.

Preparation phenomenon @ADybantsa Surprisingly, he chose BYU to prepare him #NBA. The projected No. 1 draft pick for 2026 talks about the NBA experience #BYU Coach Kevin Young, his honest father-son relationship, his NIL$, the growing spotlight, his NBA mentors and more. https://t.co/WK1qAsHLjC

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 20, 2024

“He is in good hands with coach KY. We did a lot of special things together. He allowed me to take my game to the next level and he will do the same for him,” Booker told Andscape about signing AJ Dybantsa with BYU.

Before becoming BYU head coach, Kevin Young was an assistant coach on the Phoenix Suns staff from 2020 to 2024. He also worked with the Philadelphia 76ers and was a head coach in the NBA G-League.

With Kevin Young on the Suns’ staff serving as unofficial offensive coordinator in Phoenix, Booker never posted an effective field goal percentage lower than 53%. In the five years prior to Young’s arrival, he only had an effective field goal percentage above 53% in one season.

You are welcome to visit KYU at any time @DevinBook 😏 pic.twitter.com/pIPMgYHrnw

— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) April 17, 2024

In the 2021-22 season, Booker finished fourth in MVP voting.

Dybantsa has repeatedly emphasized that he is a standout in the college rankings and that NBA preparation was important for the college he chose. The 6-foot-9 winger is projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Kevin Young has the vision of developing players for professional sports

Young has embraced his program and embraced the identity of being a place to develop players and prepare them for the professional ranks. Before Dybantsa signed with BYU, Young presented his recruiting pitch to prospects on the recruiting trail.

“One of the things that I think is unique about us is what we talk about with recruits and their parents; it’s not hypothetical,” Young said in November. “I made it at the NBA level. I’ve been where these guys want to go. I lived that life and brought a lot of people on our team here who also lived that life.

“So when we talk about a strength and conditioning program, it’s not hypothetical. We are talking about a diet plan for someone who is growing their body; it is not hypothetical. Player development on the field, we have several guys who have been head coaches in the G-League. Again, it’s not hypothetical.”

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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