The talk surrounding one of the best participant in faculty basketball is extra open some years than it’s in others.
Final season noticed a carefully contested battle between Duke’s 18-year-old freshman phenom Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s 23-year-old veteran spine Johni Broome for the assorted Nationwide Participant of the Yr awards, though the title for one of the best participant within the sport clearly belonged to Flagg, evidenced by the truth that he went No. 1 in June’s NBA Draft with an enormous hype prepare behind him.
This yr’s crop of expertise consists of gamers like Texas Tech’s J.T. Toppin, who’s contemporary off a Elite 8 run with the Crimson Raiders, and his star ex-teammate Darrion Williams, who elected to switch to Will Wade’s operation at N.C. State as a substitute of operating it again with Toppin in Lubbock for an additional yr. Then there are gamers like UCLA’s Donovan Dent, who commanded a reported $3 million NIL deal throughout switch portal negotiations.
The incoming freshman class consists of two doubtlessly generational prospects in Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa, however neither of these gamers completed as a lot as someway underrated Duke signee and 2025 Mr. Basketball USA Cameron Boozer did throughout his illustrious prep profession. The returning expertise this season additionally consists of 2025 Large Ten Participant of the Yr Braden Smith, in addition to the highest goal within the switch portal this offseason in Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg.
In Half 1, we highlighted the 4 names above within the hunt for that unofficial title. Now, we wrap up our two-part sequence with 4 extra elite gamers who might doubtlessly declare the honors.
J.T. Toppin, Texas Tech (6’9, F, Jr.) Age: 20
Toppin, like Braden Smith, is a returning Energy 4 convention Participant of the Yr award honoree, having taken residence the Large 12’s premier participant award in his first season within the convention with Texas Tech. Toppin was additionally named the Mountain West co-Freshman of the Yr for his efforts throughout his freshman season at New Mexico (on the identical staff as Donovan Dent), which additionally offered him the chance to switch to Texas Tech final offseason after flirting closely with the NBA Draft.
The draft was much less of a temptation for Toppin this time round, principally because of the reality he was nonetheless projected as a late first-round decide in most mocks. Toppin already seemed like a person amongst boys final season within the Large 12 and with one other yr of expertise and progress underneath his belt, it’s definitely going to be tough to forestall him from incomes a second straight convention POY award.
Toppin ranked eighth nationally with 19 double-doubles in 33 appearances final season. His NBA potential lies totally on the defensive finish, as he’s one of many nation’s finest inside defenders regardless of his 6’9 body.
Donovan Dent, UCLA (6’2, PG, Jr.) Age: 21
The most costly participant within the switch portal this offseason, Dent is about to change into the principle man in Westwood after departing from New Mexico this spring. The famous person level guard ranked within the high 15 nationally in each scoring and distributing, averaging 20.4 factors and 6.5 assists per sport.
Dent was arguably probably the most constant performer in all of faculty hoops final season, reaching double figures in all 35 of his appearances for the Lobos whereas main the staff to their first regular-season convention title in over a decade. He additionally turned the 14th participant in NCAA historical past to tally 600+ factors and 200+ assists in a single marketing campaign, marking the primary time a participant reached these numbers since Ja Morant did it in 2018-19.
Dent is predicted to be the driving pressure of UCLA’s offense this season. If that goes something prefer it did in Albuquerque the previous couple of seasons, the Large 10 Participant of the Yr Award race shall be an outright dash between Dent, Braden Smith and Yaxel Lendeborg.
Cameron Boozer, Duke (6’9, F, Fr.) Age: 18
You could possibly make a official case that Cameron Boozer is probably the most completed prep basketball participant of all time, though its very debatable among the many all-time greats reminiscent of Lew Alcindor, LeBron James and Kenny Anderson. He received 4 state championships on the highest classification in Florida, he received three Peach Jam titles on the EYBL circuit in varied classifications and he claimed two gold medals with Group USA. Nonetheless, he enters his maiden voyage at Duke as solely the third most heralded freshman within the nation.
Whereas Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa are the gamers projected to go 1-2 within the 2026 NBA Draft, neither of them are able to succeed fairly like Boozer is at Duke this season.
There are not any actual query marks surrounding this Blue Satan roster, which has change into the norm. No program will get extra publicity within the nationwide information cycle than Duke does, which can solely assist Boozer’s case if he performs the best way he’s anticipated to this season. His 6’9, 250-pound body will make him a viable NBA publish menace, however he’s additionally proficient at attacking the rim and he’s a good menace from past the arc. Boozer ought to simply be within the operating for the assorted Nationwide Participant of the Yr awards if this season goes to plan.
Darrion Williams, N.C. State (6’6, F, Jr.) Age: 22
Williams parted methods together with his ex-teammate Toppin and his Texas Tech brethren in favor of Will Wade’s renaissance at North Carolina State. I’m certain it performed no half in Williams’ resolution to move right down to the Piedmont, however his departure will even permit him to flee the shadows of Toppin, who would nearly definitely be the participant getting Texas Tech and the Large 12’s push within the Nationwide Participant of the Yr campaigns.
As an alternative, Williams would be the main man for a staff that would very properly compete for the ACC championship this season. We’ve seen how shortly Wade turned McNeese State from an unknown faculty in Lake Charles, La., to a headline-commanding mid-major powerhouse. With a participant like Williams, who might give the Wolfpack 20+ factors an evening within the ACC in the fitting state of affairs, the turnaround ought to occur even faster in Raleigh. If Williams is the catalyst that guides N.C. State and Will Wade to the highest of the mountain, why wouldn’t he be one of the best participant in faculty basketball?
