BYU's Dybantsa's NCAA Run Ends, Eyes NBA Stardom

0:00On March 20, BYU's run in the NCAA tournament came to an end, Thursday night, with a 79-71 upset loss to Texas at the Moda Center. Star freshman AJ DeBanza poured in a game-high 35 points, but it wasn't enough for the 6th CD-Cougars to pull off the win. Trailing by 9 and a half-time, BYU mounted a strong rally in the second half, but the 11th-seated Longhorns held firm in advance to face. 3rd CD-Canzaga in the next round. DeBanza shot 11 of 25 from the field and went a perfect 12 of 12 from the free throw line, while grabbing 10 rebounds. Fans are heartbroken to see DeBanza depart after just one season at BYU, where he brought massive excitement reminiscent of the Jimmer for Dead Days. His commitment had generated huge buzz for the program, drawing national attention. DeBanza led the nation in scoring a 25.3 points per game, along with 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists,

1:02and 1.1 steals. He even broke a scoring record previously held by Kevin Durand. With projections as a top three pick in this year's NBA draft, alongside talents like Cameron Booser and Darren Peterson, DeBanza's college chapter closes on a high note as the I's pro-stardom.