The college basketball season has produced many stories and surprises so far. Wild comebacks, dominant performances, and sensational freshmen have made 2025-26 fascinating, and we’re still a few months away from the excitement of the NCAA tournament.

Recently, two of the top contenders in the Atlantic Coast Conference met. No.6 Duke (14-1, 3-0) rallied to win at No.20 Louisville (11-4, 1-2), which was without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. (back injury). ESPN analyst Jay Bilas was on the call, and we caught up with him to discuss Duke, the ACC, and other topics.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Awful Announcing: What did Duke’s come-from-behind victory at Louisville tell you?

Jay Bilas: “Duke’s got a really interesting dynamic. They’ve had a number of games where they didn’t play well in the first half. For a young team to be able to flush that and leave it in the rearview mirror, then play differently in the second half, that’s unusual, and they’ve done it a number of times. Give Louisville credit. They had 10 threes in that first half, but in the second half, Duke put Dame Sarr on Ryan Conwell. He just face-guarded him, took him out of the game, and really took their rhythm away.”

What do you think of Cameron Boozer’s game?

“He’s leading him in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. He’s so good both inside and out. If you double him, he’s a good passer, and he draws double teams that get his teammates open. He’s really a smart, savvy player, and he’s so strong with his lower body. He’s not really what I would call an above-the-rim player, but he goes right into your chest, and he can pivot around defenders. He’s an extraordinary freshman, and he’s going to play a long time in the NBA as long as he stays healthy.”

Cameron Boozer scored 27 points in Duke’s come-from-behind victory at Louisville. pic.twitter.com/xWwWMAa7w9

— Michael Grant (@MichaelGrant_CJ) January 7, 2026

How much better is the ACC?

“It’s way better than it was last year. I hadn’t seen the league top to bottom as weak as it was last year. Duke was the best team in the league. They won 19 of 20 games. Louisville won 18 of 20. But it was hard for Duke, outside of playing Louisville and maybe North Carolina, to find any Quad 1 games. This year, there are a number of Quad 1 games. I think you’re better at tournament time when you’re tested more often, and they’ll be tested a lot. They’ve been tested already against Florida State and Georgia Tech, and in Louisville, when they get Mike L. Brown Jr. back, they’re legit. That’s a good basketball team. That’s asking a lot to overcome, having a lottery pick point guard unable to play.”

Who is the best team in America right now?

“I think the two teams that have impressed the most are Michigan and Arizona. Michigan’s been outstanding. They’ve been a juggernaut. And then Arizona. Arizona’s legit. Their guards are good. They can rebound. They’ve got size. They bring one of the best offensive rebounders in the country off the bench, Tobey Awaka, who played at Tennessee before he went to Arizona. So, those two teams are legit. There’s a long way to go, and there are other teams that are gonna be there at the end. I don’t think it’s gonna be like last year, where you had four No.1 seeds going to the Final Four. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Arizona and Michigan in Indianapolis. They’re that good.”

What has surprised you about the season so far?

“Overall, it’s been the quality and depth of the freshman class. There have been years when you’ve had great freshmen at the top, maybe five guys that stand out above the crowd, but I can’t recall a year where you’ve had this many freshmen who are prepared not just to play but to be star-caliber players.

“I think the game in so many ways has never been healthier because so many players who otherwise would have gone into the draft are staying in college, and part of it’s that they’re making money. That’s great for the game because you’ve got older, better players who are staying, so the depth of talent is better than I can remember for a long time.”

My reaction to James Nnaji enrolling at Baylor and making his collegiate debut: pic.twitter.com/fENL6z3Eli

— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) January 5, 2026

What are your thoughts on James Nnaji being eligible to play at Baylor after going through the NBA draft?

“I’m a big fan of John Calipari and Tom Izzo, but the truth is they don’t know the rules, and they don’t know what they’re talking about on this issue. James Nnaji is 21 years old. He went through the draft, but he never signed an NBA contract, never played in an NBA game. The NCAA rules have always allowed players, whether international or American, to play on professional teams as long as their compensation is essentially for expenses. If he had signed an NBA contract, he wouldn’t be playing. To me, and this is one thing that I think gets lost, this young man didn’t do anything wrong. This is all within the rules, and the coaches who are complaining don’t know the rules.”

What do you think of John Calipari’s comments?

“They’re free not to like it, and I don’t expect them to like it. That’s fine. You don’t have to like it. If you don’t want a player like James Nnaji, don’t recruit him. But they’re saying they don’t want to play against him, and a lot of people had the same thing to say about one-and-done when John Calipari was doing it, and he didn’t listen to that. So, if I were Scott Drew, I wouldn’t listen to them either. But what I think gets lost is that James Nnaji and other players in similar situations, whether international or American-born, want to go to college and play ball. We used to talk about players, well, are they real students? He’s enrolled as a full-time student and wants to go to college. Aren’t we supposed to think that’s a good thing?”

So, you don’t see this as a problem?

“There are guys way older than him playing. Chad Baker-Mazara (of USC) is 26. There’s a player at Wisconsin-Green Bay (Ramel Bethea, 29). And there was a football player who played at age 58. I don’t think anybody’s worried about 58-year-olds playing. But there’s never been an age limit, and I don’t understand why we’re drawing a line in the sand there. There are things we can adjust in basketball. We can adjust the transfer portal and some of its dates. But I don’t know why we want to die on these hills at the expense of a player going to college. I don’t think it’s the right way to look at it.”

What a run for Miami! They are 16-0 overall! Is Miami the real deal or have they had an easy schedule? I think regardless the record is very impressive. pic.twitter.com/HOU9n41sWI

— College Sports Central (@collegesportsnc) January 7, 2026

Is it fair to call Kentucky a disappointment?

“Well, the season’s not over, so they’ve been disappointing. There’s still a lot of time left in the season. But you know, I had them the other day, playing at Alabama, and they’ve got a lot to clean up. They’re not a great passing team. They’re playing hard and trying. But they’re searching right now, and that’s not a good place to be when you’re heading into January.”

Is Miami of Ohio the best mid-major?

“They’re undefeated. They shoot it from all five positions on the floor, so they can really spread the floor on you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ran the table against the teams they have remaining. They could do it. They remind me a little bit of Wichita State when they had Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. I’m not sure they’re quite that good. They haven’t played that kind of schedule. But they’re certainly dangerous. I love the way they play.”