BYU Freshman Dazzles with 40-Point Game, Draws Mahomes Courtside

Patrick Mahomes attends Big 12 tournament to watch BYU's AJ Dybantsa after record-breaking performance.

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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BYU freshman basketball player AJ Dybantsa scored a tournament record 40 points in a Big 12 tournament game, drawing the attention of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who was seen courtside watching Dybantsa's follow-up performance against West Virginia. Dybantsa, a 19-year-old from Boston, is averaging 25.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season.

Why it matters

Dybantsa's breakout performance has put him on the national radar, and Mahomes' presence courtside highlights the rising star's potential. BYU is looking to make a deep NCAA tournament run, which would be historic for the program that has never won a national title or reached the Final Four.

The details

In Tuesday's Big 12 tournament game, Dybantsa scored a tournament record 40 points, the most by a freshman since Kevin Durant at Texas. On Wednesday, Mahomes was spotted courtside watching Dybantsa and BYU take on West Virginia, where Dybantsa finished with 27 points and 7 rebounds in a 68-48 BYU victory.

  • On Tuesday, Dybantsa scored 40 points in a Big 12 tournament game.
  • On Wednesday, Mahomes attended the BYU vs. West Virginia game.

The players

AJ Dybantsa

A 19-year-old freshman basketball player at BYU, originally from Boston, who is averaging 25.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season.

Patrick Mahomes

The quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, who played college football at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016 before being drafted by the Chiefs in 2017.

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What they’re saying

“Patrick Mahomes here at Big 12 tourney getting a close look at BYU star freshman AJ Dybantsa.”

— Jeff Goodman, Field of 68 (Twitter)

What’s next

On Thursday, BYU will face Houston in the Big 12 Conference Championship. BYU is currently projected to be at least a 6 or 7 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

The takeaway

Dybantsa's breakout performance has put him on the national radar, and Mahomes' presence courtside highlights the rising star's potential. BYU is looking to make a deep NCAA tournament run, which would be historic for a program that has never won a national title or reached the Final Four.