While there are many amazing players on great teams across the country, there can only be one College Basketball Naismith Player of the Year.
Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer is the heavy favorite for the award. Boozer, the son of 13-year NBA veteran Carlos Boozer, is leading Duke in points (23.0), rebounds (9.8), assists (4.2), and steals (1.9) per game. Boozer's most impressive attribute may be his efficiency, as he is shooting 56.4% from the field, despite taking nearly 14 shots per game.
Not too far behind Boozer is fellow freshman star AJ Dybantsa. While Dybantsa's BYU team may not have the same level of hype as Boozer's Duke team, both are candidates to be the No. 1 NBA Draft pick in 2026. Dybantsa is leading the nation in scoring (23.1 points per game), while also averaging 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals.
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College Basketball Naismith Player of the Year Odds
While Boozer and Dybantsa lead the way, the next tier of candidates features three upperclassmen on Big Ten title contenders. Michigan's do-it-all wing Yaxel Lendeborg has played a smaller role than players like Boozer and Dybantsa due to the depth of Michigan's roster, but Lendeborg has still stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game while leading one of the best teams in the country.
Purdue point guard Braden Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, is having another sensational year. Although his scoring average (12.6 points) would be the lowest of all-time for a Naismith Player of the Year winner, Smith leads the nation with 9.6 assists per game and recently surpassed Cassius Winston as the Big Ten's all-time assists leader. Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. makes a similar case to Smith's, but with an even lower scoring average (11.9 points) and assist number (9.0 per game – 2nd in the nation).
Texas Tech's JT Toppin (21.2 points and 10.8 rebounds), Kentucky's Otega Oweh (14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists), and BYU's Richie Saunders (18.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.3 steals) are a few other longshot candidates with the potential for a strong second half of the season.
The College Basketball Naismith Player of the Year winner will be announced on April 5.
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