Auburn superstar Johni Broome has overtaken Duke basketball freshman phenom Cooper Flagg as the favorite to win college basketball’s National Player of the Year award. Broome is the heavy favorite at this point at -230 odds with Flagg following behind at +200 odds to win it per Sportsbook Review.
For most of the college basketball season, the race for college basketball’s best player has been viewed as a two-man race between Flagg and Broome, with the two chasing each other since conference play began.
Broome was the odds-on favorite early on in the season with the dominance he displayed from the opening tip, but Flagg overtook the Auburn big man after Broome missed time with a severe ankle sprain earlier this season.
Both players have been dominant and the clear cut top two players in college basketball, but Broome has continued to slowly creep towards Flagg to take the top spot back, and he’s now done it for the time being.
Broome is averaging 18.4 points,10.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks a night this season for the #1-ranked Tigers. The senior is shooting 50.5% from the floor.
He’s been one of the best two-way forces in the country this season and has been completely unstoppable inside of the paint, both offensively and defensively.
The Tigers have won six straight games and are now 27-2 overall this season and 15-1 in SEC play in a season where the SEC might be the best single-season conference of all time.
Broome has racked up 17 double-doubles in 27 games played this season and recently went for 31 points and 14 rebounds in Auburn’s 82-70 win over Georgia on February 22nd.
Flagg has been as consistent as anyone in college basketball this season for the #2-ranked Blue Devils, averaging 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.6 steals a night on 49.2% shooting from the floor and 37.5% shooting from three-point range on 3.6 attempts per game.
The freshman phenom is the heavy favorite to be the #1 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft and leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game while being tied with fellow freshman Khaman Maluach for most blocks per game on the team.
Flagg set an ACC rookie scoring record earlier this season against Notre Dame with 42.
Both Broome and Flagg have set themselves apart as the top two players in the sport, but Broome has now overtaken Flagg as the favorite to win the Wooden Award.
Flagg would be the first Blue Devils to win the award since Zion Williamson did it in 2019 and Broome would be the first Tiger to ever win it.
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