Why this year’s Wooden Award could be a two-player race

The men’s Wooden Award late midseason top 20 list was announced on Tuesday night and it included two familiar names at the top.

While several players have put up worthy numbers throughout the season, Duke’s freshman sensation Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s senior forward Johni Broome continue to headline the list.

For Broome, he has been a strong candidate for the award since the season began. During Auburn’s 7-0 start to the season that included the Maui Invitational championship on Nov. 27, Broome scored 20 or more points five times and posted five double-doubles. 

While the Tigers lost their first game to Flagg and the Blue Devils, 84-78, on Dec. 4, Broome still had 20 points and 12 rebounds. For the season, Broome – a third-team All-American and first-team All-SEC performer last season – is averaging 18.1 PPG while his rebounds (10.7 RPG) rank eighth in the country.

Although he suffered a left ankle sprain against South Carolina on Jan. 11 and missed two games as a result, Broome has picked up where he left off with the Tigers going 5-1 since his return. Ahead of a showdown with in-state rival and No. 2 Alabama on Saturday, Broome’s career-highs in points, rebounds and assists have Auburn as the top-ranked team in the country and one of the biggest national championship threats.

On the other side is Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While the Blue Devils lost two of their first six games to start the season, Flagg has been a huge catalyst to Duke’s success, leading the program to a 16-game winning streak before falling to Clemson, 77-71, on Saturday.

Flagg has scored at least 20 points 12 times this season and recorded six double-doubles. He set the ACC freshman record with 42 points against Notre Dame on Jan. 11. Flagg is averaging 19.5 points (24th in the country), 7.7 rebounds and four assists per game and has been even better in conference play.

Although Flagg has committed at least three turnovers 13 times this season, he has Duke positioned atop the ACC and in prime position to disrupt the SEC’s heavy presence on the one-seed line for the NCAA Tournament.

There are other notable contenders for the award. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner (19 PPG, 8.5 RPG) is shooting 66.9 percent from the floor, which is good for third in Division I. Even with the loss of two-time Wooden Award winner Zach Edey to the Memphis Grizzlies, Purdue’s Braden Smith is averaging 16.4 points and 4.6 rebounds. His 8.6 assists are third in the nation.

Until a recent three-game losing streak, Marquette’s Kam Jones was in decent position. He has been balanced all season with 19.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists. 

It is clear there are multiple players across the country that are deserving of the award, which has been handed out every year since 1977. 

With that said, it is clear if you look at the season as a whole that Flagg and Broome are the front-runners given their whole body of work. Assuming they maintain their production and lead their teams on a strong postseason run, it should be a battle between the two of them for college basketball’s best player for the 2024-25 season.