With a spectacular freshman class joining a sport that was already returning a healthy dose of its star power from the previous season, the preseason outlook for college basketball’s top individual award has rarely looked more muddled or competitive.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 candidates for the 2025-26 Wooden Award as the season prepares to tip-off.
1. Braden Smith (Purdue)
The near consensus national Preseason Player of the Year, Braden Smith returns to West Lafayette after a tremendous 2024-25 season in which he delivered historic all‑around numbers. Smith averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists (second nationally), 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game, while shooting efficiently from the field (42.8 %
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