LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, announced its 2025-26 Men’s Preseason Top 50 Watchlist today on WoodenAward.com, launching the fiftieth anniversary season of college basketball’s most prestigious individual honor.
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 50 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.
Headlined by returning standouts and an impressive group of rising stars, the 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Top 50 Watchlist features a deep and balanced field representing college basketball’s most storied programs. The list includes veteran leaders such as Purdue’s Braden Smith, UConn’s Alex Karaban, and Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie, alongside a wave of elite newcomers like Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance, and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.
Programs including Kentucky, Florida, and St. John’s each boast multiple selections, underscoring the depth of talent across the nation as the Wooden Award celebrates 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.
John R. Wooden Award 2025-26 Men’s Top 50 Watchlist
Full Name – School – Class – Position – Height
Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas – Freshman – G – 6-3
Nate Ament – Tennessee – Freshman – F – 6-10
Christian Anderson – Texas Tech – Sophomore – G – 6-3
Robbie Avila – Saint Louis – Senior – C – 6-10
Solo Ball – UConn – Junior – G – 6-4
Nate Bittle – Oregon – Senior – C – 7-0
John Blackwell – Wisconsin – Junior – G – 6-4
MIkel Brown Jr. – Louisville – Freshman – G – 6-5
Cameron Boozer – Duke – Freshman – F – 6-9
Markus Burton – Notre Dame – Junior – G – 6-0
Alex Condon – Florida – Junior – F/C – 6-11
Ryan Conwell – Louisville – Senior – G – 6-4
Donovan Dent – UCLA – Senior – G – 6-2
Tucker DeVries – Indiana – Redshirt Senior – F – 6-7
AJ Dybansta – BYU – Freshman – F – 6-9
Zuby Ejiofor – St. John’s – Senior – F – 6-9
Boogie Fland – Florida – Sophomore – G – 6-3
Ja’Kobi Gillespie – Tennessee – Senior – G – 6-1
PJ Haggerty – Kansas State – Junior – G – 6-4
Thomas Haugh – Florida – Junior – F – 6-9
Bryce Hopkins – St. John’s – Grad Student – F/G – 6-7
Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State – Junior – G – 6-0
Graham Ike – Gonzaga – Grad Student – F – 6-9
Ian Jackson – St. John’s – Sophomore – G – 6-5
Trey Kaufman-Renn – Purdue – Senior – F – 6-9
Alex Karaban – UConn – Redshirt Senior – F – 6-8
Xaivian Lee – Florida – Senior – G – 6-4
Yaxel Lendeborg – Michigan – Grad Student – F – 6-9
Tamin Lipsey – Iowa State – Senior – G – 6-1
Jaland Lowe – Kentucky – Junior – G – 6-1.5
Nick Martinelli – Northwestern – Senior – F – 6-7
Otega Oweh – Kentucky – Senior – G – 6-4
Koa Peat – Arizona – Junior – F – 6-8
Darryn Peterson – Kansas – Freshman – G – 6-6
Tahaad Pettiford – Auburn – Sophomore – G – 6-1
Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama – Sophomore – G – 6-4
Jayden Quaintance – Kentucky – Sophomore – F – 6-10.5
Richie Saunders – BYU – Senior – G – 6-5
Emanuel Sharp – Houston – Redshirt Senior – G – 6-3
Jackson Shelstad – Oregon – Junior – G – 6-1
Braden Smith – Purdue – Senior – G – 6-0
Bennet Stirtz – Iowa – Senior – G – 6-4
Andrej Stojakovic – Illinois – Junior – G – 6-7
Bruce Thornton – Ohio State – Senior – G – 6-2
JT Toppin – Texas Tech – Junior – F – 6-9
Joseph Tugler – Houston – Junior – F – 6-8
Milos Uzan – Houston – Senior – G – 6-4
D.J. Wagner – Arkansas – Junior – G – 6-4
Darrion Williams – NC State – Senior – F – 6-6
Caleb Wilson – North Carolina – Freshman – F – 6-10