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The NBA Draft begins on 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 and deepest crop. When I say best, I mean the deepest crop of super talented freshmen in a draft that I can remember. And I think it’s the best crop of star-caliber freshmen. The freshmen are going to dominate the first round,” Bilas told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
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ESPN analyst Jay Bilas stands courtside before the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Florida Atlantic Owls at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 5, 2023. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)
Bilas noted that a lot of NBA teams went into battle this season to get a top pick in the draft.
“One of the reasons you saw so many NBA teams jockeying for position to try to get into the lottery, which people call tanking, is because of the quality of this draft. And you can pick six, seven and eight and say, ‘Man, are we going to get a starter out of this?'” Bilas said.
Bilas said the top of the draft has superstar potential. He listed BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson as players who could become future All-Stars.
The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 overall pick, the Utah Jazz have the No. 2 overall pick, the Memphis Grizzlies have the No. 3 overall pick, and the Chicago Bulls have the No. 4 overall pick. Dybantsa has been widely touted as 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 Dec. 9, 2025. (Noah K. Murray/AP Photo)
In his only 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 at No. 2 overall has been the subject of much debate. Peterson, Boozer and Wilson have all been mocked to Utah. Bilas said he wouldn’t bat an eye if Wilson was the Jazz’s pick because of how talented he is.
In 24 games with North Carolina in 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., on 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, which is given to college basketball’s most outstanding player, in addition to 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 play in the American Century Championship from 10-12. July at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
