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The NBA draft begins Tuesday and ESPN college basketball broadcaster Jay Bilas has high hopes for it.
Bilas, 62, called this year’s draft class the “best” and “deepest” he can remember.
“It’s the best, richest crop. When I say the best, I mean the biggest crop of super talented freshmen in a draft that I can remember. And I think it’s the best crop of star-caliber freshmen. Freshmen are going to dominate the first round,” Bilas told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
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ESPN analyst Jay Bilas stands on the court before the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Florida Atlantic Owls at Madison Square Garden in New York on December 5, 2023. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)
Bilas noted that many NBA teams have been tanking this season in order to secure a first-round draft pick.
“One of the reasons you’ve seen so many NBA teams fight to try to get into the lottery, which people call tanking, is because of the quality of this draft. And you can pick at six, seven and eight and say, ‘Man, we’re going to get a starter?'” Bilas said.
Bilas said the top of the draft has superstar potential. He cited BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson as players who could be future All-Stars.
The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 overall pick, the Utah Jazz have the No. 2 pick, the Memphis Grizzlies have the No. 3 pick and the Chicago Bulls have the No. 4 overall pick. Dybantsa was widely mocked for being the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa dribbles the ball against Clemson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in New York on December 9, 2025. (Noah K. Murray/AP Photo)
In his lone season at BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 35 games. He was a consensus All-American and made the All-Big 12 team.
Who the Jazz select second overall has been the subject of much debate. Peterson, Boozer and Wilson were all mocked in Utah. Bilas said he wouldn’t bat an eyelid if Wilson was the Jazz’s choice because of his talent.
In 24 games with North Carolina during his freshman year, Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Like Dybansta, the forward was also a consensus All-American in addition to being named to the All-ACC team.
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North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson reacts after being fouled by Michigan State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Myers, Fla., Nov. 27, 2025. (Mike Carlson/AP)
Boozer, the son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, shined in his lone season with Duke. In 38 games, Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He won the Wooden Award, given to the most outstanding player in college basketball, as well as being a consensus All-American.
Peterson, in 24 games with Kansas, scored 20.2 points, recorded 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He was named to the All-Big 12 team, but was not a consensus All-American, unlike Dybansta, Wilson and Boozer.
Bilas will compete in the American Century Championship July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
