Brockton freshman basketball phenom AJ Dybansta has sights set on NBA
STOUGHTON - Quick footwork, countless shots, and an unrelenting attention to technique. It's no wonder 16-year-old AJ Dybansta is a basketball phenom and getting national attention.
"It's the game I love, and I have a dream, I have goal set in mind. I need to accomplish it so the only way to do that is by working," Dybansta said. "Hall of Famer in the NBA."
At 6'8", the Brockton freshman towers over a lot of his competition and has been ranked the number one player in his class in the country. Coach Brandon Ball is AJ's skills development coach and has been working closely with AJ since 2018. "Dribbling, shooting, learning the game in terms of learning how to cut and pass," Ball said. "His work ethic and consistency," make him special, Ball added.
AJ plays wing on the court. He's 100% devoted to his craft and works out at least three times a day. "We go for two hours. Everything is hard, fast paced, a lot of shots and dribbling," AJ said.
He picks up things quickly. Coach Ball says his passion for the game is next level.
"God given ability and the awareness to continue to work on it and do it over and over again and get your 10,000 hours in," Ball said.
This past year he played for both St. Sebastian's in Needham and for AAU. He was even part of Team USA where they defeated Canada in the gold medal game. Not only is the game extremely important to AJ but so is his education. In fact, his family says if he's not on the honor roll, he can't play.
"I tell him all the time education comes first. He has no choice. You don't produce in school you don't play hoops," Anicet Dybansta Sr. said.
This fall, he plans to take his talent another high school called Prolific Prep in Napa, California. Another step to get him to his ultimate goal. "The best competition and playing on the national schedule," AJ said. "I promised my mom, at least one year of college."
And he hopes the sacrifices he's making now will pay off in the end.