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John Wooden Award favorites: Cooper Flagg heavily favored

The John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual award in College Basketball, awarded to the nation's best player after each season.

The last player to win the award was Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4 Purdue Boilermakers center. He won it in both 2022/23 and 2023/24, becoming the first player to win it twice in a row since Ralph Sampson of Virginia in 1981/82 and 1982/83.

Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 blocks on 60.7 percent shooting to win his first Wooden Award, and he averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.2 blocks on 62.3 percent shooting to win his second one.

Now, Edey is in the NBA, and a handful of players are among the favorites to win the Wooden Award in 2024/25 as a result.

Below is a look at all the current favorites to win the 2024/25 Wooden Award.

2024/25 John R. Wooden Award odds

Cooper Flagg

-900

Johni Broome

+500

Braden Smith

+4000

Kam Jones

+4000

Eric Dixon

+10000

Auburn forward Johni Broome was the Wooden Award favorite for most of the season, but after he picked up an ankle injury that kept him out for a couple of games, Duke forward Cooper Flagg overtook him and has become the heavy favorite at -900.

Flagg entered his first season at Duke with plenty of hype, and he has only improved since his first game. He leads the Duke Blue Devils in scoring (19.9 points per game), rebounds (8.0), assists (4.1), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.2), and he has shot 42.5 percent from three in his last 10 games after shooting 22.2 percent in his first 10.

In his best performance of his short college career, Flagg dropped a career-high 42 points with six rebounds, seven assists, and a steal in a win over Notre Dame. He shot 11/14 overall and 4/6 from three, and he played 36 minutes in the 86-78 Duke win.

Broome is second in the odds at +500 after missing two games and coming off the bench in one due to the injury. He's averaging 17.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 blocks while shooting 53.0 percent from the field, and his rebounds and blocks per game are the best in the SEC.

In his first game back from injury against then-No. 6 Tennessee, Broome played 33 minutes off the bench and scored 16 points with 14 rebounds, two assists and four blocks.

Flagg and Broome are the only players with odds shorter than 40/1 to win the Wooden Award. Next in the market, at +4000 each, are Marquette Golden Eagles guard Kam Jones and Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith.

Next in the odds, at 100/1 to 150/1, are Villanova forward Eric Dixon, Alabama Crimson Tide guard and preseason Wooden Award favorite Mark Sears, and Memphis guard PJ Haggerty.

Odds mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.

John Wooden Award past winners

Year

Name

College

2023/24

Zach Edey

Purdue

2022/23

Zach Edey

Purdue

2021/22

Oscar Tshiebwe

Kentucky

2020/21

Luka Garza

Iowa

2019/20

Obi Toppin

Dayton

2018/19

Zion Williamson

Duke

2017/18

Jalen Brunson

Villanova

2016/17

Frank Mason III

Kansas

2015/16

Buddy Hield

Oklahoma

2014/15

Frank Kaminsky

Wisconsin

2013/14

Doug McDermott

Creighton

2012/13

Trey Burke

Michigan

2011/12

Anthony Davis

Kentucky

2010/11

Jimmer Fredette

BYU

2009/10

Evan Turner

Ohio State

2008/09

Blake Griffin

Oklahoma

2007/08

Tyler Hansbrough

North Carolina

2006/07

Kevin Durant

Texas

2005/06

JJ Redick

Duke

2004/05

Andrew Bogut

Utah

2003/04

Jameer Nelson

Saint Joseph's

2002/03

TJ Ford

Texas

2001/02

Jason Williams

Duke

2000/01

Shane Battier

Duke

1999/00

Kenyon Martin

Cincinnati

1998/99

Elton Brand

Duke

1997/98

Antawn Jamison

North Carolina

1996/97

Tim Duncan

Wake Forest

1995/96

Marcus Camby

UMass

1994/95

Ed O'Bannon

UCLA

1993/94

Glenn Robinson

Purdue

1992/93

Calbert Cheany

Indiana

1991/92

Christian Laettner

Duke

1990/91

Larry Johnson

UNLV

1989/90

Lionel Simmons

La Salle

1988/89

Sean Elliott

Arizona

1987/88

Danny Manning

Kansas

1986/87

David Robinson

Navy

1985/86

Walter Berry

St. John's

1984/85

Chris Mullin

St. John's

1983/84

Michael Jordan

North Carolina

1982/83

Ralph Sampson

Virginia

1981/82

Ralph Sampson

Virginia

1980/81

Danny Ainge

BYU

1979/80

Darrell Griffith

Louisville

1978/79

Larry Bird

Indiana State

1977/78

Phil Ford

North Carolina

1976/77

Marques Johnson

UCLA

John Wooden Award trophy

The Wooden Award trophy features five bronze figures that depict each of the five skills that John Wooden said a total basketball player must have: rebounding, passing, shooting, dribbling, and defense. The base of the trophy is made out of walnut, and the trophy weighs 25 pounds in total.

John Wooden Award announcement

The winner of the Wooden Award is expected to be announced following the end of the NCAA Tournament in early April.

John Wooden Award voting

The media and fans can vote on the Wooden Award winner. Fans can vote through the award's website, while nearly 1,000 media members - representing all 50 states - vote on the award.

Read the latest College Basketball news on site.

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