BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was named Big 12 player and newcomer of the week, after a pair of standout performances for the Cougars.
The forward from Brockton, Massachusetts averaged 32.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of games against ranked opposition, playing all but 45 seconds of the two contests. Against then-No. 4 Arizona, the freshman phenom scored 35 points, the fifth-most by a BYU player against a top-25 opponent since 1996. He came an assist short of a triple-double against then-No. 6 Iowa State, adding 29 points and 10 rebounds in the 79-69 win. He is the nation’s leading scorer at 24.9 points per game, and only trails Trae Young, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant and Buddy Hield in Big 12 single-season scoring average. While it is his second player of the week nod, it marks his third consecutive newcomer selection, and his sixth this season.
Dybantsa was joined on the Big 12 Starting Five, which honors strong performances across the league, by Arizona’s Anthony Dell’Orso, UCF’s Themus Fulks, Cincinnati’s Moustapha Thiam and Colorado’s Bangot Dak. Dell’Orso had a pair of 22-point games in ranked wins against then-No. 23 BYU and then-No. 2 Houston, adding four rebounds against BYU and four steals at Houston. Fulks helped the Knights crystallize their at-large hopes with wins against TCU and Utah, averaging 19.0 points and 5.5 assists, including making the game-winning free throws to complete a 24-point showing in the 73-71 win at Utah. Thiam had a career-high 28 points with eight rebounds as the Bearcats handed then-No. 8 Kansas an 84-68 loss in Allen Fieldhouse. Dak scored 17 points, his high total for a Big 12 game this season, with seven rebounds and a pair of blocks in the 83-69 win against Oklahoma State.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona & Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – P.J. Haggerty, K-State
Dec. 1 – Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Dec. 8 – Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Jan. 12 – Richie Saunders, BYU
Jan. 19 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Jan. 26 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Feb. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Feb. 9 – Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Feb. 16 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Feb. 23 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Dec. 1 – Moe Odum, Arizona State
Dec. 8 – Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 12 – Honor Huff, West Virginia
Jan. 19 – Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Jan. 26 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Feb. 9 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 16 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
?Feb. 23 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Big 12 Starting Five:
Anthony Dell'Orso, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU (player and newcomer)
Themus Fulks, UCF
Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
Bangot Dak, Colorado