-
Jeff Borzello
Seven freshmen, headlined by Duke’s Cameron Boozer, are among the 20 players named to the men’s Wooden Award late midseason watch list, released Tuesday.
Boozer is the perceived favorite for the award, ranking second nationally in scoring (23.3 PPG) and 15th in rebounding (10.0 RPG), while also distributing 4.0 assists per game and shooting 38% from 3-point range. He has been the most consistent player in the country, scoring at least 14 points in every game and tallying 12 double-doubles.
Boozer is joined by the three players expected to be picked in the top four of the 2026 NBA draft alongside him: BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson.
Despite BYU’s recent struggles, Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring, putting up 23.9 points per game. He had a remarkable month of December, averaging 27.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists, shooting nearly 66% from the field. His numbers have slowed down slightly in Big 12 play, but he still had 43 points against Utah and 36 points against Oklahoma State.
Peterson has been one of the biggest storylines in college basketball, as he has played just 13 of Kansas’ 23 games due to a lingering hamstring injury and then a sprained ankle. When on the court, however, he’s been fantastic, averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, shooting nearly 42% from 3.
Wilson ranks in the top 30 nationally in both scoring (20.2 PPG) and rebounding (9.6 RPG) and has scored 20 points or more in 17 of 23 games entering the week. He’s coming off a 23-point performance in Saturday’s win over Duke, playing all 40 minutes.
Houston’s Kingston Flemings, who has emerged as the best player for a Final Four contender; Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., who is averaging 24.5 points, 6.8 assists and shooting 45% from 3 over his last four games; and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, who had 46 points in a game last month and is one of the biggest surprises in the sport this season.
Among upperclassmen, the player most likely to close the gap on the freshmen for the award is Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson, a Saint Mary’s transfer who has dramatically improved all facets of his game over the past couple of seasons. He’s a truly complete player, averaging 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists, while shooting better than 40% from 3. The 6-foot-9 guard has also notched two triple-doubles this season.
Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. and Purdue’s Braden Smith, the preseason Wooden Award favorite, are the nation’s top two assist leaders and are also on the list. Texas Tech remains the only team with multiple players on the list, with Christian Anderson and JT Toppin both included.
Two other veterans named to the list are starring for the top two teams in this week’s AP poll. Arizona’s Jaden Bradley has emerged as one of the best point guards in the country, posting career highs across the board and averaging 13.9 points and 4.5 assists. Meanwhile, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg is the anchor for a balanced Wolverines attack, leading the team in both scoring (14.3 PPG) and rebounding (7.2 RPG).
Players not on Tuesday’s list are still eligible for the Wooden Award national ballot, which will feature 15 players and whose vote will determine the final winner.
Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 25
Listed in alphabetical order
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Kingston Flemings, Houston
P.J. Haggerty, Kansas State
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
