Eye On College Basketball Podcast

Episode: BYU HC Kevin Young believes AJ Dybantsa can be the BEST defensive player in the country
Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish & Matt Norlander
Guest: BYU Head Coach Kevin Young

Episode Overview

This episode features BYU head coach Kevin Young, who joins the hosts to discuss his transition from the NBA to college basketball, his approach to building his staff and team culture, and, most notably, his expectations for star freshman AJ Dybantsa. Young shares insights into AJ's maturity, his versatile projected role, and why he believes Dybantsa has the potential to be college basketball's best defender. The conversation further dives into coaching philosophies, the unique challenges of the college game, and Young’s unexpected affection for the BYU community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coach Young’s Off-Court Interests and Personality

• Young’s travel experience and music tastes set a relaxed, relatable tone.
• Shares recent listens: “I went old school Charlie Tuna fish from Jurassic 5. … Alt country is, like, hot for me right now, so, like, Tyler Childers vibes, I’m going strong with that, too.” (Kevin Young, 02:27–02:37)
• Young controls music during specific shoot-around drills, notably playing “Sure Shot” by Beastie Boys as a tradition (03:13–03:27).

2. AJ Dybantsa: On and Off the Court

• Adjustment & Maturity:
  • “He’s been amazing, truly. … What separates him is … this maturity for a young guy and this professionalism, that’s extremely impressive. … He’s as dialed of a guy that I’ve coached at any age.” (Kevin Young, 04:44–05:21)
• How NBA Experience Shapes Approach:
  • Young’s NBA background was a “potentially sole reason” Dybantsa chose BYU, fostering a relationship “founded on trust and truth telling.” (06:08–06:24)
  • “He lets me coach him hard. … I think at this point he expects me to hold him accountable, not just in our own one-on-one discussion but in front of the team.” (06:32–06:44)

3. Expectations & Role for AJ Dybantsa

• Defensive Focus:
  • “The two things that I’ve been on him about the most are playing defense—because I think he’s got the ability to be legitimately the best defender in college basketball.” (07:58–08:14)
  • Attributes cited: athleticism, length, desire, competitiveness.
• Playmaking & Scoring:
  • Young values giving the ball to his most talented players: “I’m a big believer in putting the ball in your most talented player's hands … I just want guys to make the right play.” (08:40–08:54)
  • “He can make threes. He can get to the rim at will. … He really is a true three-level scorer.” (09:13–09:19)
• Projected Usage:
  • “We’ll definitely ask him to score a lot of points, but those two things that I started with are what I’m really on him about mostly.” (09:33–09:37)

4. Team Construction: Fitting the Pieces

• Richie’s Fit:
  • “NBA people like him because he’s a guy you can plug in the game and … He can coexist with great players because he’s not a guy that needs to dribble the ball a million times.” (09:42–10:03)
• Balance and Efficient Offense:
  • Emphasizing a perfect fit for playmakers and shooters; maintaining team balance with AJ’s arrival.

5. Reflections on the Alabama Game and NCAA Tournament

• On Facing Hot Shooting Teams:
  • “Sometimes it goes that way … you could have had 10 guys out there guarding, it wouldn’t have mattered.” (11:01–11:20)
• Learning from Losses:
  • “There’s always something you can do. … If we had to do it all over again … maybe we don’t test [their three-point shooting] as much.” (11:01–11:33)

6. Coaching Philosophy: Lessons from Football

• Staff Organization:
  • Young structures his staff with NFL-style coordinator roles: “A lot of the staffs I was on [in the NBA] were designed that way … I’ve pretty much designed my staff that way as well.” (11:59–12:25)
• Game Management:
  • Impressed by football coaches’ situational mastery: “Situationally, I think football coaches are well, well past where basketball coaches are.” (12:43–12:54)

7. Year One—College vs. NBA: Key Lessons

• Daily Grind Difference:
  • “It really became a battle of how can we optimize every day? … Finding that balance. I think when we hit our stride in the season was when we started to figure out how we were going to construct every day to optimize it.” (13:12–13:44)

8. Differences Coaching in College

• Intensity and Atmosphere:
  • “There’s no nights off … All the atmospheres are pretty intense. … That’s the thing I love about college basketball versus the NBA. … Every night feels like a tournament game.” (13:53–14:17)

9. Personal Fulfillment and Future at BYU

• BYU Fit:
  • “Now that we’re here, we like it, I’d say, even more than we thought we would. … It’s a good time to be involved with the university. We love it. My wife loves it, and we’re just really happy that we’re here.” (15:03–15:37)

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On AJ Dybantsa’s Defensive Potential:
  • “I think he’s got the ability to be legitimately the best defender in college basketball.”
    (Kevin Young, 08:08)
• On the Role of Trust in Coaching:
  • “The commonality is trust and truth telling. And so that’s kind of what our relationship’s founded on.”
    (Kevin Young, 06:18)
• On Adapting to the College Grinds:
  • “You’re just grinding these guys with so much practice time versus what you’re doing in the NBA world.”
    (Kevin Young, 13:15)
• Why He Chose BYU:
  • “I know he’s talked about that in other outlets and so forth, but yeah… potentially sole reason why he came to BYU.”
    (Kevin Young, 06:10–06:14)

Key Timestamps

• Music Taste, Personality – 02:27–03:30
• On AJ’s Adjustment & Maturity – 04:44–05:33
• NBA Experience Impact on Player Relationships – 06:08–06:54
• AJ’s Role & Expectations – 07:58–09:37
• Richie’s Fit with the Team – 09:38–10:12
• Alabama Game & Learning from Losses – 10:12–11:42
• Football Coaching Lessons – 11:42–13:02
• Year One Adjustments (NBA vs. College) – 13:12–13:50
• Atmosphere of College Basketball – 13:53–14:28
• Coach Young’s Satisfaction at BYU – 15:03–15:44

Conclusion

Kevin Young’s conversation offers an honest and enthusiastic look at BYU basketball’s present and future. His belief in AJ Dybantsa’s talent—particularly on defense—sets the stage for high expectations. Young’s NBA pedigree influences his staff structure, player relationships, and program culture. His passion for the college environment and his intentional approach to developing talent and culture make this episode compelling for fans eager to see how BYU and its star freshman will fare this season.