The Duke Blue Devils basketball pipeline is stronger than ever. And all the proof you need is in the list of recent Naismith College Player Of The Year winners.
Forward Cameron Boozer's 2025-26 victory came on the heels of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg winning the award, and gave the Blue Devils three Naismith winners over the past eight seasons. Can the Blue Devils make it three in a row? We'll have to wait until March 2027 to find out.
Here's a look at the odds for the 2026-27 men's college basketball player of the year:
Naismith College Player Of The Year/Wooden Award betting odds
Check in just prior to the start of the 2026-27 NCAA men's basketball season, when the first set of odds are expected to be available.
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Last 10 College Basketball Player Of The Year winners
| Year | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cameron Boozer |  Duke |
| 2025 | Cooper Flagg | Duke |
| 2024 | Zach Edey |  Purdue |
| 2023 | Zach Edey | Purdue |
| 2022 | Oscar Tshiebwe |  Kentucky |
| 2021 | Luka Garza |  Iowa |
| 2020 | Obi Toppin | Dayton |
| 2019 | Zion Williamson | Duke |
| 2018 | Jalen Brunson |  Villanova |
| 2017 | Frank Mason III |  Kansas |
How to read Naismith And Wooden Player Of The Year odds
If this is your first time betting on NCAA College Basketball Player of the Year odds and you aren’t sure about the difference between the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award, don’t sweat it.
They’re essentially the same individual award but the voting structures are slightly different. The Wooden Award is voted on by over 1,000 sports writers and former winners based on academic criteria, character qualifications and play during the regular season and includes some March tournament play with the award announcement coming after the Final Four.
The Naismith Award, on the other hand, is finalized by a board along with fan voting based on regular season play and is announced during the Final Four.
Naismith Player of the Year Award FAQs
Cameron Boozer of Duke won the 2026 Naismith College Player of the Year award, giving the Blue Devils their third Naismith winner in eight seasons following Cooper Flagg (2025) and Zion Williamson (2019).
Both recognize the top player in men's college basketball but differ in voting structure. The Wooden Award is voted on by more than 1,000 sports writers and former winners based on academic criteria, character and play through the regular season and early tournament rounds. The Naismith Award is finalized by a board with a fan vote component and is announced during the Final Four.
Odds for the 2026-27 award are expected to be posted shortly before the start of the college basketball season. Check back here in the fall for the latest lines.
Duke leads all programs with 10 men's Naismith trophies, a total that includes Cameron Boozer's 2026 victory alongside nine prior winners dating back to Johnny Dawkins in 1986. UCLA is second with five, all won between 1969 and 1977. Virginia is third with three, all belonging to Ralph Sampson across three consecutive seasons from 1981 to 1983. Kansas, Kentucky, Purdue, Texas, and North Carolina have each produced two men's winners.
