AJ Dybantsya and the BYU Cougars did not accomplish all they had hoped during the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season. Dybantsya had a sensational individual season for the Cougars, leading the NCAA in scoring at 25.5 points per game. The star forward is projected as one of the top players in the 2026 NBA Draft if he were to come out.
BYU went 23-12 overall and finished tied for seventh in the Big 12 with a 9-9 record in the conference. This earned them an invitation to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, seeded at No. 6 in the West region. The Cougars tournament dreams ended early when they were upset 79-71 by Matas Vokietaitis and the No. 11 Texas Longhorns in the first round.
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BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) shoots a three pointerBen Queen-Imagn Images
Although Dybantsa has not made an official decision on whether he is declaring for the draft, there is news about another freshman teammate who is reportedly leaving Brigham Young early.
KJ Perry is a combo guard out of Castiac, California, who first attended his hometown Palisades High School. He then attended the charter schools SoCal Academy High School and Hillcrest Prep High School. After graduating, he played for the Citrus College Owls, where he excelled. Perry averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 49.5% from the field, 34.7% from behind the arc and 77.2% from the free throw line.
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When he arrived on campus, Perry only trailed Texas Christian Horned Frog guard Trent Lincoln as the No. 2 overall JUCO player in the nation. He did not make the impact that he had hoped, as the 6-foot-3 guard did not see the court in his freshman season in Provo.
Perry’s now-former teammate Dybantsa reacted to the news. He posted a Draft Express screenshot to his Instagram stories, where it shows Perry pointing towards the camera with the caption “KJ PERRY WILL ENTER THE TRANSFER PORTAL”. He also tagged @draftexpress and @kjxperry, while reacting with a “🥲” emoji in the bottom-right corner of the image.
“NEWS: BYU’s KJ Perry will enter the transfer portal, Gabe Hekmat of @WEAVE told DX.” Jonathan Givony of Draft Express wrote on X. “The 6-2 guard was ranked the country’s No. 1 JUCO player, per JUCO recruiting, after one season at Citrus College. Enrolled mid-season, but redshirted. Will have 3 years of eligibility.”
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The men’s college basketball transfer portal window opened on April 7 and closes on April 21.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.