On Sunday, Utah Prep five-star forward and prime UNC basketball recruiting target AJ Dybantsa capped off his AVANCE at L’ATTITUDE Basketball Classic performances with 43 points in the championship game in San Diego.
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However, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound senior’s efforts weren’t enough for his squad to knock off Columbus High School (Fla.), featuring five-star forward Cameron Boozer and his twin in five-star guard Cayden Boozer.
Columbus defeated Utah Prep, 95-76, behind a combined 72 points from the Boozer brothers, sons of 2001 Duke basketball national champion and two-time NBA All-Star forward Carlos Boozer. They received offers from UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis over a year ago and haven’t formally eliminated the Tar Heels from their recruitments, but the consensus among insiders of late is that Duke, Miami, and Florida are the primary contenders.
Final: Los Explorers 95, Utah Prep 76
Cameron Boozer finishes with 42 points, 15 rebounds and earned the tournament MVP award. Cayden Boozer added 30 and 9 assists.
AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 43 points, John Southwick added 13. pic.twitter.com/ScCudD35jQ
— Devin Ugland (@Devin_Ugland) September 16, 2024
As for the AJ Dybantsa sweepstakes, Davis & Co. landed among the top seven he named in early August, along with BYU, Auburn, Kansas, Kansas State, Alabama, and Baylor.
Plus, the Tar Heels are preparing to host Dybantsa, who ranks No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite and is eyeing a February decision, this coming weekend.
AJ Dybantsa just dropped 43 PTS vs the Boozer Twins 😮💨 @ADybantsa pic.twitter.com/CYprXPlT4w
— Overtime (@overtime) September 16, 2024
Against Columbus and the Boozer twins, AJ Dybantsa played all 32 minutes, adding six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks to his game-high scoring total.
The 17-year-old phenom shot 14-for-23 from the field, a blistering 8-for-13 from 3-point land, and a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe.
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Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.
