AJ Dybantsa scored 18 points to lead the No. 8 BYU Cougars to an exhibition win over No. 25 North Carolina on Friday night.

In the end, what was originally billed as just a preseason exhibition, felt much more like late-February hoops than an October tune-up. BYU’s narrow victory over North Carolina offered fans and scouts alike a glimpse into the future of basketball itself, headlined by two stars who already seem to play beyond their years.

North Carolina men's basketball fought all the way until the end against the BYU Cougars, but 19 turnovers were a big story of the matchup and how much freshman

Keba Keita blocked a shot in the final seconds and BYU beat North Carolina 78-76 Friday night in Salt Lake City. Both teams weren’t totally dialed in on offense — which isn’t unexpected for October — but both teams brought the intensity and treated this like a real game,

BYU took down North Carolina 78–76 in an exhibition matchup Friday night in Salt Lake City, thanks to a clutch defensive stop from Keba Keita, who denied North Carolina’s Seth Trimble at the buzzer.

BYU billed North Carolina coming to Delta Center as the unofficial start of the AJ Dybantsa era. “BYU fans get their first glimpse of the team in Utah,” the athletics website advertised before the Cougars’ preseason game on Friday.

The Cougars are officially 0-0 before opening the season a week from Monday against Villanova in Las Vegas, but pulled back their first unofficial win of the season.

BYU outscored North Carolina 44-38 in the paint despite impressive Tar Heel height, including 7-foot Estonian center Henri Veesaar (14 points) and 6-foot-11 Jarin Stevenson. BYU countered with Keita (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Mihailo Boskovic under the boards.

The UNC-BYU exhibition will feature two freshmen who stand at the top of the Class of 2025: Tar Heel Caleb Wilson and Cougar AJ Dybansta. Per ESPN's rankings, W