Evaluating Baba Miller, Moustapha Thiam, and AJ Dybantsa in the Cincinnati-BYU Game

March 4th, 2026

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Cincinnati take on AJ Dybantsa and BYU in a very competitive college basketball game.  BYU has been having a good season, but Cincinnati finally has everyone healthy, in which they have a strong frontcourt led by Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam, as well as an underrated group of guards.  Cincinnati was able to get out to a quick lead and never looked back, as they ended up winning by double digits. Here are my thoughts on how Miller, Thiam, Dybantsa, and other various prospects fared, as well as how their games may stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Baba Miller had a tremendous showing in his team’s win over BYU.  He is a very athletic, skilled forward that had a strong all-around game, as he showed his versatility and unique skill set on the floor.

Miller did a great job of scoring on hustle plays.  He ran off a backcut and caught a lob to score on a high-flying, alley-oop dunk.  He also ran the floor and caught a lob to throw down another.

Plus, he showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble, as well as out of the post.  He showed good moves and shooting touch to score from the block, and he can elevate to score over defenders.  He also has a solid pump fake, and he can quickly get past his man to draw fouls on them to get to the free throw line.  Miller also ran off a ball screen to make a smooth three-pointer off the catch.  He’s much more of an inside player than an outside shooter, but Miller showed impressive skills as a shot maker.

Miller also showcased strong playmaking skills.  He does a great job of quickly find the open man to get them the ball, and he also passes well off the dribble and on the break.  He handles the ball well, and he can lead the break and find teammates on the move.

Also, he did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball.  He also defended very well.  Miller would use his length, athleticism, and positioning to help his team get stops.  He was able to rotate to block a shot hard off of a cut, and he also deflected a pass out of bounds another time.

In general, Baba Miller played very well to help lead Cincinnati to get a blowout win over BYU.  He’s a very skilled, versatile forward who has had a strong season, and he could end up being a first round pick in the 2026 draft, as he has the skills to be a solid player in the NBA.

Moustapha Thiam had a strong showing in his team’s win over BYU.  He is a very athletic, skilled center that played really well on both sides of the ball, especially in the second half.

Thiam showed a solid ability to score in the post.  He showed the moves and the shooting touch to score from inside, and he also would throw down thunderous dunks.  Thiam has good hands to catch lobs, and he showed good fluidity to score from the block.  He would sometimes miss on contested jumpers, but he usually excelled at making shots.  Plus, Thiam also was able to make a smooth three-pointer off the catch.

He also generally passed the ball well.  He can make quick passes out of the post, and he also handles the ball well for a player his size.  Also, Thiam did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also defended very well.  He would use his length, athleticism, and timing to block and contest shots to force misses to help his team protect the paint. 

In summary, Moustapha Thiam  played really well, and he had a terrific showing in his team’s win over BYU.  He could be a first round pick in the 2026 draft, and he could end up being a solid player in the NBA.

AJ Dybantsa struggled to consistently make plays in this game, but he had some solid moments in his team’s loss to Cincinnati.

He is a very athletic, super skilled forward that has an NBA body and a pro game, but Dybantsa struggled to make shots in this particular game.  He struggled to consistently score off the dribble or knock down outside shots, but he was at his best when posting up or driving downhill on the break.  He showed a promising pull-up game, as well as very good strength and balance to score and draw fouls in order to get to the free throw line, but he would too often miss on tough, rushed drives as well as on makable three-point shots.

He was up and down as a playmaker in this game.  He was quite turnover prone in the first half, as he would throw an array of hasty passes that would get intercepted, including an ill-advised jump pass once.  He also had a ball poked away from him to commit another turnover once.  On the other hand, Dybantsa also would sometimes make smart, quick reads and throw crisp, accurate passes, as he showed that he can still throw a nice lob to notch an assist.

Also, Dybantsa was able to chip in to help his team get some rebounds.  He also would sometimes contest shots to force some misses, but sometimes he would give up too much space to shooters, and other times he would be out of position and hold opponents to commit touch fouls.

Overall, this wasn’t Dybantsa’s best game, but it’s clear the talent is there.  He just needs better talent, a healthy Richie Saunders (but Saunders is out for the season), and a team-oriented system that incorporates more ball and player movement in their offense.  Without the shooters to space the floor, Dybantsa and BYU are left to run a bunch of isolations against a loaded defense.  Still, given Dybantsa’s sterling freshman season and skill set, he will still probably be a top 3 pick in the 2026 draft.

Jizzle James played well in his team’s win over BYU. He is an athletic, shotmaking guard that excelled offensively.  He showed a knack for making spot-up threes, and he also ran off a ball screen to make one to showcase his potential as a movement shooter.  He also has a strong pull-up game, as he did a great job of making mid-range jump shots.  He also would sometimes drive hard to the basket to score.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He can quickly find the open man to set up scores for his teammates, but every once in a while, he would be careless with the ball, which would lead to a turnover. James also defended well, and he would get his hands on balls to help his team get steals.

Overall, James turned in a strong showing to help his team get the win.  He is a smooth scorer that quietly played very well in this game, and he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Jalen Celestine played very well in his team’s win over BYU.  He is a mobile, skilled forward that shot the ball well, especially from beyond the arc.  He did a great job of making threes as he can do so both off the catch, dribble, and on the move.  He also managed to score on a quick put back, as well as on a step-back mid-range jumper.

He also will make the extra pass to find the open man.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to handle the ball in traffic or make quick decisions, which would occasionally lead to team turnovers.  Also, Celestine was able to chip in to help get several boards. He also played solid defense.  He would get his hands on balls to block shots.  On one play though, he fouled an opponent on a mid-range shot that also led his team to give up the basket.

Overall, Jalen Celestine excelled at making plays in this game, particularly as a sharpshooter for his team on offense.  He is an underrated prospect that could fill a 3 and D role in the NBA, and he could end up being an effective role player in the association.

Day Day Thomas put forth a solid showing in his team’s win over BYU.  He is a fleet-footed combo guard that can score he basketball in a variety of ways.  He has a solid pull-up game that is fueled by a really good pump fake move that can enable him to catch defenders off guard.  He also is adept at drawing fouls to get to the free throw line.  Sometimes though, he would take tough shots that would lead to misses.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  Thomas made an assortment of passes to set up numerous scoring chances for his teammates, and he can quickly get into the lane to consistently find the open man. Also, Thomas defended fairly well.  He showed a knack for getting his hands on balls to get steals, and he also successfully drew a charge another time.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to guard more athletic opponents on the ball, which would occasionally lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Thomas played very well in his team’s win over BYU.  He is an athletic, skilled combo guard that had a strong all-around game, and he is solid scorer that could end up being an effective role player in the NBA.

Aleksej Kostic played well in his team’s tough loss to Cincinnati.  He is an agile, skilled guard that shot the ball very well, especially from the corners.  He is a spot-up shooter that excelled in catch-and-shoot and catch-and-finish situations, and Kostic also managed to score on a backdoor cut.  However, he would sometimes struggle to handle the ball when pressured, which would lead him to commit turnovers.  Also, he was able to chip in to get a few boards. He also would look to contest outside shots to force some misses, but sometimes he would give up too much space. Overall, Kostic shot the ball superbly and played very well off the bench, and he could project into a shooting specialist role at the NBA level.

Robert Wright III had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Cincinnati.  He’s a sneaky quick guard that has a very good floater game, and he can quickly get into the lane to score off the dribble.  He also was able to make a deep three, but he struggled to make outside shots consistently.  He also was turnover prone, as he tended to commit careless ball-handling turnovers.

Though he didn’t get many rebounds, Wright was able to leap up to get his own offensive rebound, which was an impressive haul that time.  He also showed that he can quickly jump passes to get steals, but sometimes would also commit reach-in fouls due to over-aggressiveness.  Overall, Wright showed some solid skills at times, but he will need to improve his three-point shooting and playmaking skills.  Still, he is an intriguing prospect that could be a player to watch in 2027.

Keyshuan Tillery also quietly played well in Cincinnati’s win over BYU.   He showed a knack for scoring on strong drives to the hoop, and he has a nice hesitation move that he can use to get past defenders.  Tillery also passed the ball well, as he can change speeds and skillfully weave passes to find open teammates.  He also was fairly active on the boards, and Tillery also defended well, as he would use his agility and positioning to help his team get stops.  Overall, Tillery is an agile, skilled playmaker that does a good job of setting the table and defending.  He’ll need to improve his jump shot, but he could be due for a breakout season at Cincinnati next season, and he could project to be a game-managing point guard at the NBA level.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Miller, Thiam, Dybantsa, and others fared in this game.  Thanks for reading.