UNC Basketball to Clash with BYU and No. 1 Recruit AJ Dybantsa in Explosive Preseason Showdown

UNC Basketball to Clash with BYU and No. 1 Recruit AJ Dybantsa in Explosive Preseason Showdown 🔥

The North Carolina Tar Heels are setting the tone early for what could be a defining 2025–26 season with a preseason exhibition matchup that’s already stirring national headlines.

On October 24, UNC will travel west to face BYU in Salt Lake City in a high-stakes exhibition game featuring a loaded Cougars team and one particularly personal twist: they’ll face AJ Dybantsa, the top-ranked recruit in the 2025 class and a former UNC target.

Yes, this one’s going to mean something extra.

A Loaded Matchup Before the Real Tip-Off

UNC’s 2025–26 schedule already features heavyweight matchups against St. Bonaventure, Michigan State, Kentucky, and Ohio State. But this BYU game may carry the most emotional weight despite being technically unofficial.

Why? Because AJ Dybantsa, BYU’s star freshman, is the recruit who got away.

Once considered a strong UNC lean, Dybantsa ultimately chose BYU in one of the biggest recruiting twists of the cycle. Now, he’ll face off against the very team that chased him hardest. And he’ll do it in front of a national audience, just as both teams try to finalize rotations and test chemistry before the season begins.

UNC’s Roster Reload Could Be One of Its Best

Led by head coach Hubert Davis, the Tar Heels are poised for a big year thanks to a strong mix of high school talent and transfer experience.

• Caleb Wilson, the 5-star power forward and crown jewel of UNC’s 2025 class, adds size, skill, and star power.
• Henri Veesaar, a towering and versatile transfer, plugs a major interior gap from last season.
• Jarin Stevenson, a hometown product, brings mobility and length to a frontcourt that sorely needed it.

With better rim protection, deeper guard depth, and an incoming freshman class that complements returning stars, UNC has quietly built one of the deepest and most balanced rosters in the ACC.

BYU: The Perfect Early Test

This won’t be a tune-up game.

BYU is fresh off a Sweet 16 run and returns a core that’s proven it can compete with anyone. Combine that with their own success in the transfer portal and the arrival of Dybantsa, and you have a team that could start the season ranked in the top 10.

This matchup gives UNC a chance to test its high-powered rotation against a disciplined, physical, and fearless opponent—one that won’t back down even in an exhibition.

Last Year’s Blueprint, This Year’s Momentum

If October exhibitions are any indication, UNC thrives in these early challenges.

Last season, the Tar Heels opened with an 84–76 road win at Memphis, where guard Seth Trimble exploded for 33 points. That game set the tone for a confident, aggressive start to their campaign.

This year, they’re hoping for the same but with higher stakes.

Beating BYU (and Dybantsa) might not count in the standings, but it will count in confidence, culture, and chemistry. It’s a showdown between blue blood tradition and rising power—a game full of talent, tension, and early-season fire.

Circle the date: October 24. It’s not just an exhibition—it’s a preview of March.