The Player of the Year debate in college basketball has evolved into a two-man race as the season has gone along, with strong cases for Auburn Tigers’ Johni Broome and Duke Blue Devils’ Cooper Flagg. But with four finalists to be announced in just under three weeks, who else might we see in the running for the award?
Cooper Flagg, Johni Broome Headline Naismith National Player of the Year Candidates
As we head into the final weekend of the college basketball regular season, two Naismith National Player of the Year candidates have been head-and-shoulders above the rest for a couple of months now.
They also happen to be the leaders of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, the Tigers and Devils, respectively.
Flagg came into college with extremely high expectations as the crown jewel of the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s certainly lived up to and arguably exceeded those expectations, placing himself in the conversation for the best player in the country.
Cooper Flagg checked out with 28 PTS to “One More Year” chants from Duke fans 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/4z7kBvvkYb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 4, 2025
Broome has been Flagg’s only competition for the top player in the country, as he’s led the Tigers through an extremely tough SEC schedule with dominant play on both ends of the court.
Both have terrific cases in terms of stat lines.
Flagg has led the Blue Devils in every major stat category for a majority of the season, averaging 19.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 4.2 apg on 49.7% shooting from the field. Broome scores 18.0 ppg, grabs 10.7 rpg, and dishes out 3.3 apg on 50.4% from the field.
While Flagg plays more on the perimeter and also has the ability to blow by defenders to the rim and post up smaller guys, Broome is primarily a back-to-the-basket-type player, regardless of his defender.
But both affect the game in a number of ways outside of their offense.
Broome notches 2.8 bpg to Flagg’s 1.2 bpg, but the freshman outpaces the senior in steals with 1.6 spg to 0.8 spg. Those numbers signal their excellence at the part of the court they spend the most time: the rim and the perimeter. Broome is a terrific rim protector, while Flagg is a length defender who routinely deflects passes, resulting in steals.
The intangibles are also key aspects of the argument, with the 18-year-old Flagg never seeming to lose his composure with the immense pressure placed upon him and Broome serving as a calming presence in the SEC battles Auburn endures.
In terms of the Naismith National Player of the Year award, four finalists will be announced on March 25. Flagg and Broome will take two of those spots, but who else may we see on the list?
Alabama Crimson Tide point guard Mark Sears is a definite candidate as the leading scorer and passer for a perennial top-10 team. Although he hasn’t had as good of a season as last year overall, he’s had several huge performances as of late.
Another point guard who may have a chance is Purdue Boilermakers’ Braden Smith. Finally out of the shadow of two-time Naismith Player of the Year winner Zach Edey, Smith has shined in his junior season leading a dangerous Boilermakers squad. He ranks second in the country in assists per game while scoring upwards of 16.0 ppg.
Fellow freshman and soon-to-be lottery picks Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey have statistical cases, but their Rutgers Scarlet Knights squad has been disappointing. Villanova Wildcat Eric Dixon’s team hasn’t reached expectations as well despite his 23.6 ppg, which ranks first in the country.
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Ultimately, whoever ends up as the other two candidates besides Flagg and Broome — albeit a tremendous accomplishment — will be a footnote to the two-man race between the freshman and senior.
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