Up Close With PSR
ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas

Editor's Note: ESPN basketball commentator Jay Bilas was a four-year starter for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University from 1983-86. Bilas played on the Blue Devils' NCAA Final Four team as a senior along with Danny Ferry, Mark Alerie, Johnny Dawkins (now associate head coach under Krzyzewski), David Henderson (head coach at Delaware), and Tommy Amaker (head coach at Michigan). Bilas did some coaching himself following a pro career in Europe, serving as an assistant at his alma mater from 1990-92. He also attended law school during that time and has been an attorney in Charlotte for the past 10 years. Bilas joined ESPN in 1995 after serving as an analyst for the Duke Radio Network. PSR's senior writer Tony DeFazio recently caught up with Bilas as the NCAA men's basketball regular season was winding down to discuss the outlook for the 2002 NCAA Tournament, the University of Pittsburgh's chances in both the Big East Conference and the NCAA tournament, and the 1970s television series "The White Shadow."

PSR: Now that the conference scenes have had the chance to play themselves out a little, who are some teams that you see challenging Duke and Kansas as tournament favorites?

BILAS: Certainly the two favorites are Duke and Kansas. There are really a number of teams that are capable of winning six in a row, though. Aside from Duke and Kansas, I think Maryland, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona, maybe a few more Pac-10 schools like UCLA. It looks like its going to be wide open for the Final Four.

PSR: You mention Maryland and Duke, both ACC teams, as final four candidates. What are the top conferences this season?

BILAS: The three best, clearly, are the SEC, the Big-12, and the Pac-10. The ACC is probably fourth. Those four conferences should all get at least five teams in. The SEC could get as many as eight, which has never happened before. Five times conference have placed seven teams—the Big 10 did it four times and the Big East once—but its never happened that a conference placed eight teams in the tourney. This also is the best year in recent memory for mid-major schools, which could really open it up for teams like Western Kentucky, Kent State, Pepperdine, Butler, Ball State, Bowling Green.

PSR: You mentioned mid-majors, yet you didn't mention Gonzaga, which had made a serious impact in the NCAA tournament the past few years.

BILAS: Well, Gonzaga is a 3 or 4, maybe a 5 seed. There is no way there are 20 teams better than Gonzaga. I didn't mention them among the mid-majors because it's almost not fair to call them a mid-major. They are as major as anyone and they have been for a few years now.

PSR: You didn't rate the Big East among the top conferences. Why not?

BILAS: The Big East will get five, maybe six teams into the tournament, and they have a lot of very solid teams - teams that will not get in but that would have had respectful showings had they gotten in. With the Big East this season, though, you have to wonder whether anyone can make it beyond the Sweet 16. Connecticut and Miami are the only teams that have a legitimate shot at getting to or past the Sweet 16, the only two teams that you could call title contenders. The Big East is very balanced, though; they have seven teams in the top 50 in RPI.

PSR: How does Pitt alter the balance of the Big East? Have they surprised you?

BILAS: Yeah, a little bit, but I think they were more of a surprise last year with their Big East run. You know, when Ben Howland came to Pitt, he had a reputation of getting the most from his teams. That was really a great hire by Steve Pederson, Pitt's athletic director, one of the great hires in the country. Pitt is just so strong too—as a team. They are just really strong. If the Big East had a bench press contest, Pitt would win, absolutely no doubt. They are methodical and patterned. They're very hard to get out of their style, and that keeps them in games.

PSR: Who's going to win it all?

BILAS: Kansas is the most consistent team, Duke is the most explosive. It's one loss and you go home, so you need consistency in the tournament. And I think Kansas is the most consistent team.

PSR: Who is the Big East Most Valuable Player?

BILAS: John Salmons of Miami is such an efficient guard, and he's so productive. He's the kind of player who fills a stat sheet and you don't even realize it. You know he's playing well, but before you know it he's got 18 points, eight assists, five boards, four steals and a block. But I think Caron Butler (Connecticut) is the best player in the conference, although when you talk about most valuable, (Pitt's) Brandin Knight should be considered. He's a junior now, and his career path is starting to look so much like that of his brother's. Brevin went to Stanford, really came on in his last two years, and he's still in the NBA today. Brandin has a lot of the same characteristics as his brother. He's smart. He understands the game. He does it all for his team—scores, plays defense, gets everyone else involved, gathers rebounds. There's nothing he doesn't do well except shoot foul shots.

PSR: How big an Achilles heel is that for his team? If the ball is going to be in his hands late.

BILAS: It's a concern, but what can you do? There is no way—absolutely no circumstance—which the ball should not be in his hands with the game on the line. You just have to think that when he has a crucial shot—a really crucial shot—he's going to make it. He's the kind of kid who finds a way and you really don't worry too much about those kids.

PSR: You followed a path into sports broadcasting not unlike that of our publisher—lawyer first, broadcaster later. How did that happen?

BILAS: In a round about way. After my playing days were over, I went to law school and coached at Duke. I always just thought I'd coach, but I didn't. I got a call and did some Duke basketball on the local radio station, thinking it would just be short term. And here I am.