Two players have had a realistic shot at winning this year’s Wooden Award and the odds have shifted quite a bit throughout the season. Duke’s Cooper Flagg amassed an overwhelming lead as the odds-on favorite at BetMGM shortly after making his debut on the board, but he can’t seem to outrun Auburn’s Johnni Broome. Both players will need to separate themselves from the competition by having strong showings in their respective conference tournaments, but some believe it’s already clear who the best choice is.
“I think Johni Broome is a better player than Cooper Flagg,” Rob Brown said on BetMGM Network’s Bet for the Cycle. “I think he’s more versatile. I think he can play from anywhere on the floor. I like Cooper Flagg. That’s not an anti-Cooper Flagg take. This is a very pro-Johni Broome take. I think the numbers are comparable, yet he’s doing it in a clearly superior conference against a clearly superior schedule. Johni Broome is the college basketball Player of the Year to me.”
Broome had a down game against Kentucky his last time out but is averaging 18.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. Auburn has largely dominated an SEC group that boasts eight ranked teams and Broome’s consistency has had a lot to do with that success. He leads the country’s top team in scoring and rebounding while being an elite rim protector. That makes his case compelling.
Flagg is the overwhelming favorite to be selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, but his excellence as a true freshman and potential as a future NBA star doesn’t necessarily make him the best in college basketball. His averages of 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.6 steals are hard for any collegiate player to reach, let alone an 18-year-old who skipped his final high school season. This race could go down to the wire, though.
Broome has seen his lead drop following his nine-point performance against the Wildcats and is now a slim favorite at -105. Flagg, on the other hand, is now -125 after a solid performance against Florida State. The winner could very well be decided by one player winning more conference tournament games ahead of March Madness.
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