Jay Bilas talks AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, and Isaiah Evans’ NBA draft, the Duke-UNC rivalry adding Michael Malone, and more

I also asked why Banana Ball is resonating with consumers and how the Harlem Globetrotters could spur something similar in basketball.

On AJ Dybantsa’s fit with the Washington Wizards at No. 1, given Trae Young’s similarly high usage…

“I don't see that as an issue at all. I think oftentimes when you get players coming out of college, the usage rate is going to be really high. So I'm not particularly concerned about that. Really, for Washington, they want to get the best value asset they can out of this draft. I think it's a tough decision. Dybantsa’s an outstanding player. He’s built for the NBA. He's got size, length, and athleticism. He’s a skilled player that takes these long strides, and he's got a big-time mid-range game…

“Which people say, you know, they don't prefer that. But he gets to the rim, and I think his three-point shooting is going to continue to improve. He can knock down a three, but the consistency, I think, is going to improve. With Darryn Peterson, I don't think it's a no-brainer by any stretch. Darryn Peterson is the most talented scorer in this draft. And that's saying something, because there are a lot of talented scores. But because of his availability issues this year during the season, based upon the whole cramping thing…I think it put kind of an unexplained doubt into people's minds. And even though in the last 10 games, he averaged well over 30 minutes a game, I think that doubt still exists.”

On Darryn Peterson’s fit with the Utah Jazz at No. 2 if AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1…

“I mean, the fit would be fine because he can really play. And that's sort of the thing, you want to get the best player available. Look, if you have Rudy Gobert, and they don't anymore, but if you have Rudy Gobert and you're going to get the second-best prospect, and he's exactly like him, maybe you'd go in a different direction. But with that high of a pick, I'm not sure you're really drafting based on need. You’re drafting based on the best player available…

“I have a hard time believing this draft is going to go the way that we've been slotting it all this time. It's almost like there's a media consensus. I'm not sure there's necessarily an NBA consensus, but maybe there is. Caleb Wilson of North Carolina is going to go really high in this draft, and I think there's an argument to be made that he could go as high as No. 2… He may not, but he certainly could. That's how talented he is. And the fact that he's just kind of scratching the surface of what he's going to be…

On Cameron Boozer’s best potential NBA fit…

“I don't think it's team-dependent. The thing that Boozer does is he's incredibly productive, and he's very skilled and versatile, so he can step away and knock down three. He's not a “wow” athlete. He’s a good athlete, but in the NBA, you've got a lot of these “wow” athletes, and that's not him. But there are a number of guys that are All-Stars and All-NBA players that aren't “wow” athletes…

“I think it was Jay Williams who brought this up on one of our College Gameday panels. Look at Alperen Sengun. He’s not a wild athlete. And Boozer is probably more athletic than he is. He's just not quite as big. Sengun’s a legit six-foot-10. So I think he's going to be really productive in the NBA, but he's not going to set athletic records at the combine.”

On Isaiah Evans’ most likely draft slot…

“I think he's somewhere in the 20s. Maybe even a little bit before, because he can really shoot it and shoot it off the catch. He did a much better job; he greatly improved from his freshman year. In his sophomore year, he was able to put the ball on the deck and get somewhere. He attacked close-outs. He was able to get to the basket, attack more in transition, and really did an effective job as a cutter…

“I thought he did an excellent job of running off screens and creating shot opportunities for himself rather than just being a floor spacer. Because he operated as a corner shooter, during his freshman year, he didn't play a ton. He played, but didn't play a ton. And in his sophomore year, he was a staple of the team. They used them in a lot of screen-and-roll situations with Boozer, and that was especially difficult for opponents.”

On if Duke has an equal in the ACC…

“I mean, look, North Carolina beat him once this last year in the two games that they played. So I wouldn't be surprised to see that kind of trend continue. Carolina's going to have really good players. I thought Mike Malone was a great choice. I didn't really foresee the need for a coaching change, but since they made it and they had that opening, I thought it was a little bit over-reported when a lot of scenarios didn't really exist…

“The idea that somehow Brad Stevens was coming or Billy Donovan, even the college coaches that were mentioned, you kind of rolled your eyes when you're listening to these reports, going, ‘they're just going to use that to make more money and stay where they are.’ There’s so much money now and so many opportunities in different areas. It's not like it used to be. So whether it's Kentucky or North Carolina or whatever, you know, you're not going to see people just drop another job automatically and go to some of these traditional blue bloods…

“But Michael Malone was a terrific choice. I got to cover him when he was in Denver with the Nuggets, and he won a championship there. He's smart. He gets it. It's a little bit of a departure for North Carolina because he's the first guy since, you know, probably Frank McGuire, that didn't have a North Carolina background when he took over. They’ve had nothing but Dean Smith coaching tree guys ever since Coach Smith retired. So it'll be something new. But he’ll embrace it and do a great job.”

On whether the Harlem Globetrotters could produce something similar to Banana Ball…

“I haven't really thought about that. That's a great question. You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a Harlem Globetrotter. It was just so much fun to watch. They’d be on Wide World of Sports on a Saturday or something like that, playing the Washington Generals, and it was just so much fun. That’s what the Bananas are doing with baseball. It's fun…

“I was up at the University of North Carolina a few weeks ago, and I think they played two days, two straight nights at the UNC football stadium. They sold the place out, and each night they did over $1,000,000 in concessions. If you could get something that was that much fun for spectators, I'm sure they would go see it…

“And look, baseball has the advantage in this of the games being played outdoors. So you have a nice day, and to be outside where you can take the kids, they can watch the game if they want to. There are things to keep them interested that are beyond just sort of the balls and strikes and the traditional unwritten rules of baseball. That can seem stodgy to a kid…

On his American Century Championship pick for 2026…

“I would say Steph Curry or Joe Pavelski. Steph’s got a little more prep time this year. I know he plays during the season, but not as often as he likes. He's a member at Cal Club out in San Francisco.

On which first-time American Century Championship winner can come from the basketball world…

“Probably Austin Reeves. He can hit the ball a long way, which is a must. A lot of the younger guys hit it so much further, but yeah, I'd say Austin Reeves is probably the next up on the basketball side.”