BYU basketball finished its biggest recruiting weekend in program history over the weekend when #1 recruit AJ Dybantsa and 4-Star Utah Prep teammate JJ Mandaquit arrived to Provo Friday for their official visit and headed back to Hurricane, Utah on Sunday.
Both players took to Instagram Tuesday to post pictures from the visit. IG won’t let me embed the links so you can see the pics from my twitter and go to their Instagrams and like their photos.
Thoughts from JJ Mandaquit on the Official Visit
I talked to JJ and his father after the visit and will start by posting the Q&A I had with JJ.
Me: What were some of the highlights of your visit? Anything special or unique BYU did?
JJ: The staff did a great job on every aspect of the visit. The football game was definitely the most fun part of the visit. Getting to walk out of the tunnel and hearing the crowd chant our names was crazy. The vibe in the stadium and the people we got to meet on the field made it special. Getting to hangout in the student section during the game was an experience I really enjoyed too.
We had a luncheon before the game which was a Hawaiian luau theme so I really enjoyed that plus it’s always good when I get to eat food from back home. They also had live music and the group was from Hawaii playing music from back home. It was super special to me that they made the effort to really make me and my family feel like we were back home.
Me: What is BYU’s pitch to you?
JJ: It’s clear that the goal at BYU is to win a national championship. They’re doing all they can to accomplish that goal and also focus on my individual development to help me become the best player I can be.
Me: What are some of your deciding factors in choosing a school?
JJ: My biggest factor is building a great relationship with the staff, especially the head coach. As a point guard I’ll be trusted to be the coach on the court and to do that we need to trust each other. We need to be on the same page about everything we’re trying to do as a team. I want to go into a program knowing what their vision and plan for me is. That also means knowing it’s somewhere I can go and have an immediate impact. I’ll fight to earn everything but I want to know the situation I’m walking into.
Me: How was doing the visit with AJ? Have you guys talked about playing together in college?
JJ: It was really fun, we’ve become very good friends and to share that experience with him made it that much better. It also gave us a chance to see what it could look like if we were to go there together. We haven’t had any serious discussions as we’re both going through our recruiting processes but as we get closer to decision time I’m sure we’ll have a deeper conversation about playing together next year too.
Me: Do you have a timeline for when you want to commit? Where you would say BYU stacks up in the schools you are considering?
JJ: I have 2 more visits scheduled. From the beginning of our process we talked as a family and said we’d get through all our visits before making any decisions. I’ll be playing in 2 events back home in Hawaii late December so my plan is to announce my commitment then. I’ve been away from home going on 3 years so it’ll give me a chance to share that moment with my family and friends back home.
Our visit at BYU was great but until I get through all our visits and talk with my family and those who are a part of our circle in helping me through this process I’m just trying to get the best feel for all the schools I’m considering. It’s gonna be the hardest decision I’ll make so far in my life but it’s also the most important so I wanna take my time to consider all the different factors to put myself in the best situation I can to accomplish my goals on and off the court. I’m just very grateful to be in this situation and have all of these schools that believe in me.
Latest Thoughts from the Visit
I talked on the record to JJ and his dad and also talked to various sources about the visit. All official visits go well, and all indications are that BYU made a very strong impression. The ROC and student section did an incredible job at the football game and made an impression on both players. One NBA industry source I spoke with told me that BYU is looking quite good for AJ coming off the visit.
As JJ indicated above, he is planning to announce his decision in December. AJ Dybantsa’s dad has said he will announce in February for Black History month, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he announces by the earlier signing period starting November 13 so he can put all the recruiting craziness behind him. That is one of the main things to watch with AJ’s recruitment — does he commit in the next month or wait until February.
BYU is in a great spot for both players. Both players aren’t a package deal, but they’ve developed a close bond and BYU is the other school that is recruiting both players. It’s not THE deciding factor, but the two players playing together in college is a thing only BYU is offering right now. BYU’s NBA centric staff is appealing for both players, and BYU is highly competitive in NIL, especially for AJ. I have BYU and Creighton as the two favorites for JJ, and BYU, Kansas State, and Alabama as the three favorites for AJ with North Carolina as a dark horse fourth. BYU has done an incredible job for both players and I like where BYU is.
Other Visitor at the Football Game
BYU commit Khadim Mboup was at the football game Saturday, sources tell me. He posted a photo to his IG story of him at the game.
The 6-foot-9 forward committed to BYU back in July to join the coming season, but had some admissions issued he couldn’t get cleared to join BYU this season. Mboup turned 18 in September, so he is the age for a high school senior. Mboup is currently enrolled at Utah Prep, and sources have told me that it’s a possibility that he enrolls at BYU mid-year for Winter semester in January and redshirts the back half of the season.
Mboup is an incredibly intriguing prospect with his length and skill set and would give BYU a good prospect to work with.
