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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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After weeks of debates over who would go first overall, the wait officially ended on Tuesday night as BYU standout AJ Dybantsa heard Adam Silver call his name as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.
Dybantsa maintained over the past few months that he should be the top pick. However, analysts contended that it might be Kansas' Darryn Peterson getting that honor, with how much talent and potential both of these top picks have.
As soon as he walked onto the stage to receive a congratulatory handshake from NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Dybantsa got his chance to explain what it meant to him to go first overall.
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“It just means a lot. Obviously, it’s just a stepping stone. Obviously, I have a lot more work to do, but a testament to all my hard work and all the discipline and sacrifices that I make." Dybantsa told ESPN's Lisa Salters after being selected first overall.
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He only played one season for BYU, but helped lead them to the NCAA Tournament, where they ran into a tough Texas Longhorns team in the first round that eliminated them.
With Dybantsa, the Wizards get a dynamic talent who averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He shot 51% field goals and 33.1% from 3-point range.
He shocked many people within the past several weeks when he said he didn't do any workouts for NBA teams, and simply met with them for dinners and discussions, rather than showing his skills.
That likely shows how scouts and teams had already made up their minds that this was the sort of future star they wanted on their team. The Wizards officially became that team on Tuesday evening.
He'll join a squad that traded for former Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young and big man Anthony Davis within the past year, as they look to rebuild in the Eastern Conference. Dybantsa is hoping he can be the guy who brings this team back to respectability and the playoffs.
He's been compared to stars like DeMar DeRozan and Tracy McGrady, so it should be interesting to see what type of player Dybantsa becomes and how quickly he gets there in the professional league.
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