Brockton's AJ Dybantsa helps U.S. capture U17 gold medal

NBA

Dybantsa has a chance to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

AJ Dybantsa reacts during the championship game. Altan Gocher/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

With Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa as a catalyst, the United States clinched a seventh consecutive FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup gold medal.

Team USA crushed New Zealand, 145-65, in the semifinals Saturday, with Dybantsa contributing 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and finishing plus-46.

In the championship Sunday, a resounding 129-88 USA triumph, Dybantsa added 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and was plus-31.

He totaled 14.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game throughout the tournament in Turkey, shooting 58.7 percent from the floor and averaging a plus-minus of 35. Dybantsa earned a spot on the tournament’s all-star five, alongside teammate and Most Valuable Player Cameron Boozer.

Dybantsa, an uncommitted, 17-year-old, 6-foot-8 guard/forward, is currently ESPN’s No. 1 player in the Class of 2025. According to 247Sports, Dybantsa currently has 28 offers.

With Maine’s Cooper Flagg starting his freshman year at Duke University this year, and Dybantsa presumably entering college the following year, it’s possible New England will have back-to-back No. 1 picks.