Wooden Award rankings: Smith, Boozer lead contenders list

The college basketball season is already underway. Opening week is the perfect time to place futures that (hopefully) cash in March and April. We already published our title contenders list. Now it's time for our top five candidates to win the John R. Wooden Award, which recognizes the best player in the country. Remember, our rankings don't necessarily line up with the oddsmakers.

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Odds: +1100

Yaxel Lendeborg was a prized transfer portal player. His decision to play for Michigan elevated it to a national title contender. He averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for UAB last season, and most people around college basketball believe his production will easily translate to a major conference.

Lendeborg's playmaking and interior scoring improved last season, and will only progress alongside other great players in a proven system. Lendeborg doesn't shoot a ton of threes as a 6-foot-9 tenacious downhill driver, but he has a solid stroke and made 35.7% of his threes on nearly two attempts per game. The double-double machine will become more unguardable if he continues to extend his game beyond the arc.

Odds: +1100

In his first season at Texas Tech, JT Toppin averaged 18 points, nine rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Assuming he builds on his breakout season on one of the nation's best offenses, Toppin will be in the National Player of the Year conversation. Toppin is the prototypical dominant college big man who doesn't project well in the NBA. But that's irrelevant for this award. Toppin is unstoppable on the low block with the combination of his strength and athleticism. Toppin's game would skyrocket if he developed a reliable jumper. Regardless, individual production and team success are determining factors for voters, and Toppin checks both boxes.

Odds: +800

Darryn Peterson will almost certainly have the necessary statistics to qualify for the award as a freshman. He's a scoring machine and a prolific shooter, evidenced by his 26 points in 25 minutes, including six threes, in Kansas' scrimmage against Louisville. Peterson must develop his playmaking as the table-setter for the Jayhawks' offense, but he should be in the mix for both the Wooden Award and a top pick in the NBA draft.

Odds: +1000

Only four freshmen have ever won the Wooden Award, but the last two also played for Duke: Cooper Flagg in 2025 and Zion Williamson in 2019. Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis were the only other first-year stars to earn the honor. Cameron Boozer is equipped to join the prestigious list as a power forward with guard-like passing skills and shotmaking chops. He's a dominant rebounder, efficient in the mid and low-post, and has brilliant footwork. He's projected to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

In Duke's first preseason scrimmage, Boozer had 33 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists against UCF. He followed that performance with 24 points, 23 rebounds, and six assists against Tennessee. Just like Flagg made Duke a must-watch team last season, Boozer will keep fans glued to the TV.

Odds: +400

As the engine of one of the sport's best offenses, Braden Smith is the favorite to win the Wooden Award. The senior increased his scoring average from 12 to 15.8 points per game last season. He also bumped his assists up to 8.7 dimes per game.

Smith is an unstoppable guard whose efficiency in the pick-and-roll poses a massive challenge for opposing defenses, regardless of the ball-screen coverage thrown at him. Despite standing at 6-foot, Smith slithers through the lane and can finish around the rim or create an open look for his teammates. He also increased his 3-point volume last season while still maintaining a respectable percentage. Smith should earn the honor if his scoring average jumps to the 20s and Purdue is contending for a Big Ten regular-season title.

Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more basketball coverage.

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