Paul Finebaum Didn’t Hesitate When Naming The Best Player In College Basketball

Paul Finebaum Didn’t Hesitate When Naming The Best Player In College Basketball

The Final Four will tip off this weekend, and we are just a little under a week away from crowning the national champion. One thing that remains undecided is the winner of the Naismith National Player of the Year and the Wooden Award.

Many believe it comes down to two stars who have led their teams to the Final Four: Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg and Auburn Tigers star Johni Broome.

ESPN’s Jay Bilas has weighed in with his pick for the prestigious honor, stating that it should go to Flagg. Bilas pointed out that no player has ever led an ACC team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks in a single season until Flagg.

Because of that, he feels confident that Flagg will be named the national player of the year. However, Bilas acknowledged uncertainty about whether Flagg will sweep all of the National Player of the Year awards (Naismith and Wooden) or if he might share the honors with Broome. Duke star Cooper Flagg shoots over Johni Broome of Auburn as Jon Scheyer looks on”Being able to escape that injury was critical,” Finebaum said. “He’s the best player in the country.

There’s no real mystery.” Both players are having outstanding seasons.

Broome is averaging 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game, shooting 51.2% from the field.

On the other hand, Flagg is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 48.3% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range. He is widely regarded as the frontrunner for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, should he decide to go pro after this season.

The winner of the Naismith Award will be announced on April 6, while the Wooden Award winner will be revealed on April 11. Both players will be in action this weekend, with a chance to compete for a national championship.

Broome and Auburn will play at 6:09 p.m. ET on CBS against the Florida Gators, followed by Flagg and Duke at 8:49 p.m. ET on CBS against the Houston Cougars