NCAA Basketball: Top 10 Player of the Year candidates after Feast Week

4. Braden Smith, Purdue Boilermakers

2024-25 season stats: 12.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 9.1 APG

Braden Smith running the backcourt in West Lafayette has been a luxury for Matt Painter and Smith is making his mark (once again) in his third season at Purdue. Smith, the Big Ten preseason POY, has delivered on all ends of the floor, posting a balanced 12.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG and an impressive 9.1 APG.

Smith has been a staple of consistency, too, shooting nearly 40% from both the field and from three. When you have a guard that can dish 10 assists a night, I’d say that warrants a top five POY candidacy.

3. Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils 

2024-25 season stats: 15.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 4.1 RPG

Flagg, the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has lived up to the hype throughout his first seven games in Durham. Flagg may not have been at his best in its close loss to Kansas but has shown he can be a top player in college basketball as only a freshman with its impressive win over Arizona in Tucson.

Cooper Flagg hasn’t necessarily been a staple of consistency from three just yet but remember, he’s only a freshman. These numbers will increase over time. Flagg has the physicality, motor and court vision that separates him from the rest of NCAA basketball. Just take a look at his ability to generate second-chance points, courtesy of Riley Richards via X.