Getty Image / Porter Binks
Jay Bilas has long been one of the most respected college basketball analysts. The ESPN mainstay has been at it for a long time and is always at the center of the college basketball conversation.
On Wednesday night, the Duke alum was on the call for a big top-ten matchup of #2 Auburn and #9 Duke. While Bilas normally does an okay job calling Duke games and keeping his bias in check, he received quite a bit of flak for his analysis on Wednesday, especially regarding his treatment of Duke superstar freshman Cooper Flagg.
Duke got a big win over Auburn at Cameron Indoor Stadium, 84-78, behind hot shooting from freshman Isaiah Evans and another solid game from Cooper Flagg. Flagg had 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks as he continues to stuff the stat sheet.
But, the projected number-one overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft doesn’t need a ton of extra hype. His play provides plenty of that by itself.
But, Bilas was giving Flagg and Duke a ton of praise on Wednesday night. A lot of people thought he went overboard.
Jay Bilas commentating Duke games is always hilarious! He’s glazing anytime Cooper Flagg dribbles with his left hand…
— Brock (@BBennett1992) December 5, 2024
I think Bilas wants to have Flagg's babies
— John Seibold (@SeiboldG8r) December 5, 2024
Can we leave Jay Bilas in 2024
— Cyclone Larry (@CycloneLarry69) December 5, 2024
As someone who watched the game, it was filled with pretty constant praise for Cooper Flagg. I get that he’s a big reason that people are tuning in, but it was probably a bit too much from Jay Bilas.