BYU made some big noise in the college basketball world in December 2024, when top recruit AJ Dybantsa announced his intentions to join the Cougars.

Instantly, Dybantsa became the highest-ranked recruit to ever commit to BYU. After spending the later portion of his high school career in Utah, the 6-foot-9 forward opted to remain in-state after reclassifying from the 2026 class to the 2025 class. Every major recruiting outlet pinned Dybantsa as the next big thing in college basketball, a No. 1 recruit who had competed for USA Basketball and offered size, athleticism and a dynamic offensive skill set. 

After choosing BYU over Alabama, UNC, Kansas and more, Dybantsa will make his highly anticipated debut for the Cougars on Monday night in Las Vegas. Kevin Young’s No. 8-ranked squad entering the regular season will take on Villanova in the Hall of Fame series, with Dybantsa having already logged an 18-point and 30-point game in preseason exhibitions.

A potential new era for BYU arrives on Monday night, as the Cougars face high expectations with Dybantsa in the fold for the 2025-26 season. How will the young star perform in his official college debut?

The Sporting News is tracking AJ Dybantsa’s live stats, plus updates and highlights from BYU vs. Villanova on Monday night. Follow along with the Cougars phenom’s performance and more below.

STREAM: Watch BYU vs. Villanova through DirecTV

BYU vs. Villanova score

AJ Dybantsa stats vs. Villanova

This section will be updated.

• Points: 6
• Rebounds: 2
• Assists: 1
• Steals: 0
• Blocks: 0
• TOs: 0
• PF: 0
• FG: 3-4
• 3FG: 0-0
• FT: 0-2

MORE: How NIL played a role in AJ Dybantsa choosing BYU

AJ Dybantsa updates, highlights from BYU vs. Villanova

All times ET. 

10:20 p.m. — BYU is already starting to pull away, on an 8-0 run. Dybantsa has led the way, adding two more buckets, including a second-chance putback, to lead the charge.

10:05 p.m. — Dybantsa dishes out an alley-oop assist, then gets on the board for his first BYU points with a nice reverse layup under the rim. BYU and Villanova are trading some shots to open their new seasons.

AJ Dybantsa and Keba Keita connect for a THUNDEROUS early alley 🔥@BYUMBB‘s star freshman debuts NOW on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/zrK4Upkzx9

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 4, 2025

AJ Dybantsa records his first bucket as a Cougar 🪣 @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/TdT4Co8kWs

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 4, 2025

10:00 p.m. — Here’s Dybantsa’s intoduction in Las Vegas:

AJ Dybantsa making his BYU regular season debut here in Vegas.

Let the AJ era begin. pic.twitter.com/QFFaSdMFd7

— Jackson Payne (@jackson5payne) November 4, 2025

9:45 p.m. — BYU and Villanova are warming up after the Arizona-Florida game went a bit long. Soon though, Dybantsa will take the floor in college for the first time.

It’s time for the official debut of AJ Dybantsa as BYU prepares to face Villanova

🤳- @RoccoMiller8 pic.twitter.com/AU2KBSyEuD

— Christian “White Noise” Proscia (@NEP_Proscia) November 4, 2025

9:20 p.m. — Dybantsa’s debut for BYU against Villanova is just minutes away. The two squads are set to face off upon the conclusion of Arizona vs. Florida.

MORE: The Sporting News’ 2025-26 college basketball preseason rankings

Where to watch BYU vs. Villanova

• Date: Monday, Nov. 3
• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• TV channel: TNT/truTV
• Live stream: DirectTV

BYU and Villanova will both open their 2025-26 college basketball seasons as a part of the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas, with the game being played at T-Mobile Arena at 9:30 p.m. ET on Monday. 

Cougars vs. Wildcats matchup will air nationally on TNT and truTV. Fans looking to stream the game can turn toward DirecTV. 

BYU schedule 2025-26

Here is a look at BYU’s next 10 games to open the 2025-26 season.

*Game played at a neutral location