BYU forward AJ Dybantsa recalls his favorite bible verse after being posed the question by Cy Pittman, 8, right, and Hank Pittman, 6, both of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after a practice the day before a first-round college basketball game against Texas in the NCAA Tournament held at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Four days after declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, AJ Dybantsa penned a message for Cougar Nation.Dybantsa reflected on and expressed gratitude for his time at BYU in a LinkedIn post Monday.When I committed to BYU, I knew I was signing up for something bigger than basketball. A lot of people questioned the decision. For me, the choice was simple. I wanted to go to the place that would best develop me as a basketball player and as a person. BYU was the program that gave me the clearest path to both.Dybantsa said he knew he made the right decision the moment I stepped on campus.This school welcomed me in, raised the standard for me, and made me a better person every single day I was there. From the coaching staff to the professors to the fans walking across campus, this is a community unlike any other in college sports, he said.Dybantsa then thanked BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young and his teammates. Coach Young, thank you for trusting me with the keys to your program. You came to BYU with an NBA mind and a deep belief in what this place could become. You pushed me harder than Ive ever been pushed, and you cared about me as a person before you cared about me as a player. Ill carry the lessons you taught me for the rest of my life, he said.To my teammates, the bond we built this year goes way beyond basketball. The film sessions, the bus rides, the late nights in the gym, the conversations that had nothing to do with the game. Yall are brothers for life. Im rooting for every single one of you.Dybantsa praised BYU fans, writing what yall do for this program is special. The way fans show up for BYU basketball is unlike anything in the country. The kindness I felt walking around campus and the city of Provo, the families who treated me like one of their own, the kids who came up to me everywhere I went. Thats the part of this experience Ill remember most, he said.The NBA now awaits Dybantsa, the likely No. 1 overall pick, but regardless of where he ends up, he said he is proud to be a Cougar for life. I am proud to have worn the Y. Im proud to have represented this university. Im proud to be a Cougar for life. The next chapter starts now, but BYU will always be a part of who I am. Go Cougs. AJ Dybantsa, the nation's No. 1 basketball recruit, is presented at halftime of the BYU and Fresno State game at the Marriott Center in Provo on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News