The 2026 NBA Draft class has the 'best' and 'deepest' crop of freshmen, ESPN broadcaster says
NBA The 2026 NBA Draft class has the 'best' and 'deepest' crop of freshmen, ESPN broadcaster says
The first round of the NBA Draft begins on Tuesday
By
Ryan Canfield Fox News
Published
June 23, 2026 1:44pm EDT close 
Video AJ Dybantsa Should Go 1 Overall | Don't @ Me w/Dan Dakich
Brian Geltzeiler gives his analysis for the upcoming NBA draft, stating that AJ Dybantsa should go #1 overall to the Washington Wizards.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!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 deepest crop of super talented freshmen in one draft that I can remember. And I think it is the best crop of star-caliber freshmen. Freshmen are going to dominate the first round," Bilas told Fox News 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 Dec. 5, 2023. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)
Bilas noted that a lot of NBA teams tanked this season in order to get a premier selection in the draft.
"One of the reasons that 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 be picking at six, seven, and eight and go, ‘Man, we're 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 be future All-Stars.
The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 overall pick, the Utah Jazz hold the No. 2 pick, the Memphis Grizzlies have the No. 3 pick, and the Chicago Bulls have the No. 4 overall pick. Dybantsa has widely been mocked to be 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 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 at No. 2 overall has been the subject of much debate. Peterson, Boozer and Wilson have all been mocked to Utah. Bilas said he would not bat an eye if Wilson were 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 awarded 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 be playing in the American Century Championship from July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
