2026 John Wooden Award Picks

Cameron Boozer dropped 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in a comeback win over Louisville on Tuesday night. Leading the nation with eight 25-plus point efforts this season, the Duke freshman has become a heavy favorite to capture the John R. Wooden Award.

Who else is in the mix for the award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball player? Let's check the latest futures. Odds are subject to change.

John Wooden Award Winner
Cameron Boozer (Duke)	-185	-185	-185
AJ Dybantsa (BYU)	+250	+250	+250
Braden Smith (Purdue)	+875	+875	+875
Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State)	+1800	+1800	+1800
Caleb Wilson (UNC)	+2000	+2000	+2000
Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan)	+3300	+3300	+3300
Labaron Philon (Alabama)	+4500	+4500	+4500
Darryn Peterson (Kansas)	+5000	+5000	+5000
Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas)	+5500	+5500	+5500
JT Toppin (Texas Tech)	+5500	+5500	+5500

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Boozer becomes heavy favorite

Cam Boozer is a heavy -185 favorite for college basketball's Wooden Award. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward is averaging 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.9 steals in his freshman season with the Blue Devils.

Widely expected to be selected in the top 3 of the 2026 NBA Draft, Boozer's offensive rating of 134.3 compares favorably to the last five National Player of the Year winners. It could take an injury to get others back in the race.

Cameron Boozer is already a monster at the college level, but it honestly feels like his game might translate even better to the pros. The skill, feel, and maturity are all built for the next level.pic.twitter.com/gUdgEdJEwO

— Blue Devil Voices (@DukeEchoes) January 6, 2026

AJ Dybantsa within reach?

AJ Dybantsa (+250) closed the gap a bit on Boozer with a red hot December that saw him average 27.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting nearly 66% from the field. The 6-foot-9 BYU product ranked first in The Athletic's recently released 2026 NBA Draft Big Board.

Longest of longshots

Braden Smith (+875) is averaging 12.6 PPG and 9.6 APG for the Purdue Boilermakers. The senior guard will likely need to average at least 18 points per game to have a shot at the Wooden Award and that's not happening in Matt Painter's offense.

Joshua Jefferson (+1800) had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 80-59 victory over West Virginia on Friday, becoming only the ninth player in Iowa State history to record a triple-double. The Cyclones' forward is shooting up draft boards with averages of 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Caleb Wilson (+2000) enjoyed a recent streak where he scored over 20 points and grabbed at least eight rebounds in six straight games. The Tar Heels' freshman would need to continue that type of production to get back in the race.

SEVEN STRAIGHT 20-point performances for the freshman 👏

AJ Dybantsa ties Kevin Durant for the fourth-longest streak by a Big 12 freshman over the last 20 seasons 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BXTZFZ4aUK

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 3, 2026

Barring injury, Cameron Boozer likely has the Wooden Award in the bag, but he's unplayable at -185 odds. Similarly, AJ Dybantsa (+250) is a tough bet given that Boozer soaks up national media attention while playing for college basketball’s marquee program.

Carlos Boozer to win Wooden Award

-180

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