"Upward trajectory is going to put them in a really good position": Jay Bilas makes his title pick among Duke, Auburn, and Houston

Duke, Auburn, and Houston are in the conversation of who will make their run to the national championship in April. Basketball analyst Jay Bilas provided his insights on the debate.

Bilas appeared on "SportsCenter" ahead of Saturday's slate of games. He considered the talents and performances of the Blue Devils, Tigers and Cougars, understanding how deserving they are to be in consideration for the title. However, one team stood out to him the most.

"I think Duke’s upward trajectory is going to put them in a really good position as they head toward the NCAA Tournament. They’re not paying playing the same kind of gauntlet schedule, but Auburn without Johni Broome, has shown that other guys can step up. I mean, Chaney Johnson had 17 points, eight rebounds, four blocks in that blowout win they had against Mississippi State," Bilas said.

“I think the offensive output for Auburn is a little bit better than Duke. I think they shoot it better at multiple positions, but Duke is better defensively. And I think if Duke can get to the point where they can start forcing more turnovers, they don’t force as many turnovers as you would think for a defense that could they protect the rim really well.”

Why the Duke Blue Devils have a shot at the national title

Jay Bilas has his reasons for choosing the No. 3 Blue Devils, which are justified thanks to how the team has played this season.

They boast a 15-2 record, including an active win streak of 11 consecutive games. They average 80.9 points on 48.2% shooting from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc, blowing out teams by a margin of 21.6 points per contest.

Cooper Flagg leads the way with 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks. Kon Knueppel comes next with 13.4 points and 3.4 rebounds, while Tyrese Proctor provides 10.5 points and 3.4 rebounds with a three-point accuracy of 41.1%.

The No. 3 Blue Devils have two ranked wins over Arizona and Auburn, showing they are capable of making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament if they qualify automatically or as an at-large. Nonetheless, they are a team to watch as the second half of the season progresses.

Following tonight's matchup with Boston College, they will prepare for their next game against Wake Forest on Jan. 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET.