Utah Prep Academy’s 10-man basketball team has already received 100 Division I scholarship offers, including three from BYU’s Kevin Young.

AJ Dybantsa, JJ Mandaquit and Anthony Felesi are among the Cougars’ targets, with the 6-9 Dybantsa projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. ESPN ranks the 6-1 Mandaquit No. 48 among its Top 100 players. Felesi, a 6-5, 2026 prospect, is No. 73.

Utah Prep co-founder Brent Woodson accompanied Dybantsa, Mandaquit and their families on recent visits to campus. “(Young) has talent coming up through BYU that they’ve never been able to reach before,” Woodson said.

Woodson has been impressed with Young and believes the former Suns head coach will have a lasting impact on the entire college basketball team.

“I think he’s going to change the way colleges hire head coaches in the future,” Woodson said. “There’s such a big difference between the NBA and college. Historically, it didn’t work when NBA coaches came to (coach) college, but with (Young) coming in, and the players he’s developed — he’s focused on player development his whole career — and in this day and age where there’s so much one-and-done (athletes), I think other colleges are watching. I think he’s going to change the way colleges hire in the future if he’s successful, and I think he will be.”

Young signed freshmen Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings for his first recruiting class. Both players are projected as first-round picks in next year’s NBA draft, with Demin tabbed as a potential lottery pick. Young also signed ESPN Top 100 players Brody Kozlowski (No. 94) and Elijah Crawford (No. 96).

“One thing I noticed when we had AJ and JJ visits is you walk in and they say, ‘We can get you ready for the NBA. Here’s our strength and conditioning coach (Michael Davie) who worked with Giannis (Antetokounmpo). Here’s our mental health and strength coach (Craig Manning),'” Woodson said. “Then we called Chris Paul. When you get those kinds of references, you can’t argue with that. That’s what sets them apart.”

Young’s presentation is designed to appeal to both the player with his head in the headlines and the parents with their feet on the ground looking to make a long-term impact in a short period of time.

“A lot of these families are making sacrifices,” Woodson said. “They’re moving with their children so they can get into the best high school programs. They’re now looking at which college can best develop them, not only to become great young men, but also to have a career as professional baseball players.”

The idea of ​​BYU landing Dybantsa, the nation’s best player, and Mandaquit, who Woodson said is “considered the best basketball player to ever come out of Hawaii,” is much closer than a far-fetched idea.

“Their decisions on which college to go to is very personal to them and their families,” Woodson said. “That said, with the addition of Coach Young and his staff, BYU is a legitimate contender for these two and others like them.”

Follow Jimmer

Shanghai, China, is a world away from Provo, Utah, and yet BYU has a presence there thanks to Jimmer Fredette. The former National Player of the Year for the Cougars made a lasting impression during his four-year stint with the Shanghai Sharks, including a 73-point performance on Nov. 11, 2016.

Fredette left Shanghai in 2019. Coincidentally, the Sharks will host Utah Prep for a series of games from August 3-12. The visit has no ties to Jimmer or his Shanghai heritage, but it will catch the attention of BYU, as they keep an eye on Dybantsa, Mandaquit and Felesi.

Open house

Before the trip to China, Utah Prep will open the doors of their new campus in Hurricane to the public on August 1. Like Wasatch Academy, Utah Prep, led by L.J. Yamzon, doesn’t compete against public high schools, but they do travel across the country for a schedule of 50 games in 20 different cities.