BOSTON — It isn’t often that father Anicet Dybantsa takes No. 1-ranked boys basketball recruit AJ Dybantsa’s cell phone a few hours before a game, only doing so for big games to help the Brockton native – and presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft – focus before the biggest ones.

Before a packed crowd at Emmanuel College on Wednesday night in his last Boston high school appearance, facing Virginia’s Highland School with his Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) team, made the cut.

As his phone blew up the entire night in Anicet’s pocket, AJ delivered 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals to help Utah Prep move to 3-0 with a 79-71 win. Fourth-ranked prospect Nate Ament scored a game-high 27 opposite him with AJ as his primary defender, but spurts of impressive defense in front of the hometown crowd proved more than enough from AJ to solidify a big win.

He’s set to return to Springfield in January, but AJ’s last appearance in Boston was signature not just for AJ, but for Anicet as well.

“It’s always good to play back home. The home crowd … see some familiar faces,” AJ said. “It was good. We came out here to try to win in front of the crowd, that’s what we did.”

“It means a lot, people love him,” Anicet added. “I’m very happy. That’s all we ask for, is support the kid. He’s a local kid. How many times we going to see that in Massachusetts? He came from Brockton, he’s No. 1 in the country. He’s enjoyed the moment. We’re blessed. Our family is blessed.”

As the middle child of three, part of what made AJ’s homecoming special was seeing his family – including attending a couple of his younger sister’s volleyball games.

He got out in the community, too, appearing at the Roxbury Boys and Girls Club after making a similar appearance last year at the branch in Brockton.

“Brockton’s home, but Massachusetts – the whole state – is really home. So you’ve got to go to different parts of it,” AJ said. “I gave them some words of wisdom, some advice. Stuff like that. Kids don’t get to really communicate with me, so I like doing stuff like that.”

Playing for Utah Prep for his last year of high school, after reclassifying to the class of 2025, marks three different schools for AJ in his path to becoming the country’s top recruit and a global figure. He was at St. Sebastian’s, transferred to California’s Prolific Prep, and now lives in Utah, where Anicet moved as well to support him.

His spotlight has surged in that time as he’s traveled all over, with his trip to China being one of his favorites.

“People just love basketball there,” he said.

Kids have stopped him on the streets looking for autographs, and he’s familiar with players already in the NBA.

Anicet says he focuses on keeping AJ grounded, and the 17-year-old has handled his spotlight with grace and gratitude.

“He’s just a great kid,” Anicet said.

AJ still hasn’t decided where he’ll play in college, but has cut down his prospects to six schools – Alabama, Auburn, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina. The goal of announcing his decision in February isn’t so strict, with Anicet guessing it could come as soon as the end of this month, though says the decision is all AJ’s.

In the meantime, AJ is just enjoying the ride.

“(My favorite part is) just traveling, being with (my) teammates and just making new friends,” he said. “I’ve been to three different schools in three years, so it’s just making connections with people. Being in the hotels with them and having fun with them off the court.”