While the No. 1 spot in our National Player of the Year rankings hasn’t changed, there has been significant movement throughout the rest of the list as the season has unfolded. The freshman class has continued to impress, highly coveted transfers have thrived in their new homes and returning All-Americans have lived up to lofty expectations.
With March just a few weeks away, below is a detailed breakdown of the top Wooden Award contenders.
Note: North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson would be on the list, but he is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a broken hand.
1. Cameron Boozer, 6-foot-9 freshman forward, Duke
Last installment: No. 1
22.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 57.5 FG%, 38.8 3FG%
We aren’t talking enough about the historic season Cameron Boozer is having in Durham. The freshman forward has the Wooden Award pretty much locked up with a month left before the NCAA Tournament. Boozer leads Duke in every major statistical category except blocks and ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring and rebounding. His Player of the Year rating on KenPom (2.791) is higher than Cooper Flagg’s was last season (2.734). In Monday’s dominant 101-64 victory over Syracuse, Boozer posted 22 points and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action.
2. J.T. Toppin, 6-foot-9 junior forward, Texas Tech
Last installment: No. 4
21.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.3 steals, 55.3 FG%
The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year has made another leap this season. Toppin ranks in the top 10 nationally in points, rebounds and double-doubles. He is on pace to become just the second player in Big 12 history to average 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in a season, joining Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin (2008-09). In the Red Raiders’ statement victory over No. 1 Arizona on Saturday, Toppin put up 31 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. That performance came just three days after the big man matched his career high with 18 rebounds against Colorado.
3. Joshua Jefferson, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Iowa State
Last installment: No. 3
16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 48.8 FG%, 39.4 3FG%
On a loaded Iowa State team with national championship aspirations, Jefferson has been the biggest standout. The versatile forward leads the Cyclones in rebounding and ranks second in scoring and assists. He is just the third player in Big 12 history to register multiple triple-doubles in a season, and the first to do so in a pair of conference games. His triple-double against UCF on Jan. 20 featured a career-high 12 assists against zero turnovers. Even when his shot isn’t falling, Jefferson finds ways to impact the game. He tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in Iowa State’s thrilling 70-67 victory over Houston on Monday.
4. AJ Dybantsa, 6-foot-8 freshman wing, BYU
Last installment: No. 2
24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 53.6 FG%, 35.9 3FG%
The Cougars have struggled of late, and the road will only get tougher with senior forward Richie Saunders out for the season with a torn ACL. But Dybantsa — the nation’s leading scorer — has been consistently great, averaging 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists over his last four outings. In Saturday’s 90-86 victory over Colorado, Dybantsa scored his 600th career point, becoming the fastest freshman to reach that plateau since Duke’s RJ Barrett during the 2018-19 campaign.
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5. Kingston Flemings, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Houston
Last installment: No. 7
16.4 points, 5.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 49.2 FG%, 36.5 3FG%
A lightning quick guard with elite handles, Flemings has been the best player on another Houston juggernaut, leading the team in scoring, assists and steals. He broke the program’s single-game freshman record with 42 points against Texas Tech on Jan. 24. The 19-year-old has been especially stellar in matchups against ranked opponents, averaging 24.9 points on 54.5-percent shooting. While Houston lost a tight contest to Iowa State on Monday, Flemings put on a show, finishing with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
6. Keaton Wagler, 6-foot-6 freshman guard, Illinois
Last installment: N/A
18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 46.4 FG%, 43.2 3FG%
Since erupting for an Illinois freshman record 46 points against then-No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 24 — the most points scored by any player in a road win over a top-10 team in the AP poll era (since 1949) — Wagler has been arguably the most dominant player in college basketball, averaging 25.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds. With senior guard Kylan Boswell sidelined for a month, Wagler assumed a larger role and thrived. The Kansas native was overlooked coming out of high school, receiving little interest from high-major schools outside of Illinois.
7. Braden Smith, 6-foot senior guard, Purdue
Last installment: No. 5
14.7 points, 8.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 48.2 FG%, 41.5 3FG%
After a mini losing streak at the end of January, Purdue has bounced back in impressive fashion, thanks in large part to Smith. The senior floor general ranks second in the country in assists and needs just 22 more to become the fourth player in NCAA history with three seasons of 250-plus (Bobby Hurley, Sherman Douglas, Danny Tarkanian). In the Boilermakers’ two games last week, Smith dished out 22 assists against just two turnovers. He flirted with a triple-double (13 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds) in Purdue’s big-time win over Nebraska, surpassing 625 career rebounds to become the first NCAA player ever with 1,700 points, 900 assists and 625 rebounds.
8. Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Michigan
Last installment: No. 8
14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.2 steals, 50.4 FG%
Hoops HQ ranked Lendeborg as the No. 1 transfer in the country during the offseason. He has lived up to that ranking. The former UAB star is the centerpiece of a stacked frontcourt that also features 7-foot-3 junior center Aday Mara and 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. Lendeborg does a little bit of everything for the Wolverines — he has scored 10-plus points in 20 games, grabbed 10-plus rebounds in seven games, dished out four-plus assists in 10 games, and blocked three-plus shots in four games.
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9. Darius Acuff Jr., 6-foot-3 freshman guard, Arkansas
Last installment: No. 9
21.2 points, 6.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 50.3 FG%, 43.2 3FG%
In wins over LSU and Auburn last week, Acuff averaged 29.5 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three, which earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors for a record-setting seventh time. The talented guard has scored at least 20 points in six straight outings, including a pair of 31-point performances. He currently ranks third in the SEC in scoring and first in assists, and will go head-to-head with the league’s other premier guard — Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon — on Wednesday.
10. Thomas Haugh, 6-foot-9 junior forward, Florida
Last installment: N/A
17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 46.7 FG%, 33.8 3FG%
With Haugh leading the way, Florida has won 11 of its last 12 and risen to the top of the SEC. The dynamic forward has made the jump that many anticipated, taking over as the Gators’ primary weapon following the departures of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard. Haugh has elevated his game during league play, dropping at least 20 points in six of 13 outings. With him, 6-foot-11 junior forward Alex Condon and 6-foot-10 junior center Rueben Chinyelu, Florida has the most imposing frontcourt in the sport.
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