LOS ANGELES, Calif. (January 7, 2026) – The Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, announced its 2025-26 Men’s Midseason top 25 Watchlist today on WoodenAward.com, launching the fiftieth anniversary season of college basketball’s most prestigious individual honor.
Selected by a midseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.
Featuring a refined group of the nation’s most impactful performers, the 2025–26 John R. Wooden Award® Men’s Midseason Top 25 Watch List highlights the players who have distinguished themselves through the heart of the college basketball season. The list is led by proven leaders such as Purdue’s Braden Smith, BYU’s AJ Dybansta, and Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, while also showcasing first time selections this season including Houston’s Kingston Fleming, Iowa State’s Josh Jefferson, and Arizona’s Jaden Bradley. Multiple selections from programs like Arizona, Houston, Purdue, and Iowa State reflect the sustained excellence and depth across the country as the Wooden Award continues its fiftieth anniversary season.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men’s Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® midseason, late-season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
Celebrating its fiftieth year, the Wooden Award will feature special programming throughout the season with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating in the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal. Winners and All Americans will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.
About the John R. Wooden Award®
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient.
Honorees are certified by their universities as meeting Wooden Award standards established by Coach Wooden, including progress toward graduation and at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past winners include Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007, Candace Parker 2007 and 2008, Maya Moore 2009 and 2011, Chiney Ogwumike 2014, and last year’s recipients Juju Watkins of USC and Cooper Flagg of Duke.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to universities’ general scholarship funds and nonprofit enterprises in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients, and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps.
The John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All-Americans, and attending coaches. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
The mission of the John R. Wooden Award Foundation (JRWAF) is to promote teamwork, academic excellence, and character development, reflecting the enduring values of John R. Wooden. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the JRWAF serves as an angel organization, independently guiding the funding of educational, athletic, and philanthropic initiatives. A dedicated board of directors leads the Foundation’s efforts, committed to advancing John R. Wooden’s legacy and the timeless principles of his Pyramid of Success.
The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented alongside the Wooden Award Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
For the latest updates, visit WoodenAward.com and follow @WoodenAward on X, Instagram, and Threads; to learn more about the Los Angeles Athletic Club, visit LAAC.com
2025-26 Men’s Midseason top 25 Watchlist
ALPHABETICAL
| Full Name | School | Class | Position | Height |
| Darius Acuff Jr. | Arkansas | Freshman | G | 6-3 |
| Nate Ament | Tennessee | Freshman | F | 6-10 |
| Cameron Boozer | Duke | Freshman | F | 6-9 |
| Jaden Bradley | Arizona | Senior | G | 6-3 |
| MIkel Brown Jr. | Louisville | Freshman | G | 6-5 |
| Tucker DeVries | Indiana | Redshirt Senior | F | 6-7 |
| AJ Dybansta | BYU | Freshman | F | 6-9 |
| Kingston Flemings | Houston | Freshman | G | 6-4 |
| PJ Haggerty | Kansas State | Junior | G | 6-4 |
| Thomas Haugh | Florida | Junior | F | 6-9 |
| Graham Ike | Gonzaga | Grad Student | F | 6-9 |
| Josh Jefferson | Iowa State | Senior | F | 6-9 |
| Alex Karaban | UConn | Redshirt Senior | F | 6-8 |
| Trey Kaufman-Renn | Purdue | Senior | F | 6-9 |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | Michigan | Grad Student | F | 6-9 |
| Tamin Lipsey | Iowa State | Senior | G | 6-1 |
| Koa Peat | Arizona | Junior | F | 6-8 |
| Darryn Peterson | Kansas | Freshman | G | 6-6 |
| Labaron Philon Jr. | Alabama | Sophomore | G | 6-4 |
| Emanuel Sharp | Houston | Redshirt Senior | G | 6-3 |
| Braden Smith | Purdue | Senior | G | 6-0 |
| Bennett Stirtz | Iowa | Senior | G | 6-4 |
| Bruce Thornton | Ohio State | Senior | G | 6-2 |
| JT Toppin | Texas Tech | Junior | F | 6-9 |
| Caleb Wilson | North Carolina | Freshman | F | 6-10 |