Cooper Flagg gets passed over for Johni Broome for major NCAA honor by analyst Jay Bilas

Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome have arguably been the standouts for Duke and Auburn, respectively. Their performances across the 2024-25 season have made them favorites for the Wooden Award, with both players making the Top 25 list for the prestigious NCAA honor when it was released on Jan. 7.

Cooper Flagg, the top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024, was tipped as an early-season favorite for the Wooden Award. However, veteran NCAA analyst Jay Bilas put Broome ahead of the Duke freshman as the top candidate for the major honor.

In his latest post on Instagram, Bilas weighed up their stats while revealing why he believes Broome deserves the honor more than Flagg.

"I would have Johni Broome of Auburn still number one," said Bilas. "He's still averaging over 19 points, 11 rebounds, almost three blocks a game, shooting close to 60% from the field. And he's been incredibly consistent on what may be the best team in the country in Auburn.

"But Cooper Flagg has made a huge jump to challenge Broome, and especially over the last three or four games. During that stretch, he's averaging over 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists, close to two blocks and shooting over 60% from the field."

He added:

"I don't think anybody in the country is doing as much, in every different category, and impacts the game in so many different ways. And he (Flagg) doesn't need to score 20 points in a game to be the most dominant player on the floor."

Johni Broome and Cooper Flagg lead the race for the Wooden Award

Johni Broome has emerged as the frontrunner for the Wooden Award this season, with Bet Carolina giving him +140 odds and a 41.7% chance of winning as of Jan. 9.

Cooper Flagg comes close in second, with +400 odds and a 20.0% chance of winning despite being projected as the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Sports Betting Dime was more generous with their numbers, putting Broome on top with odds of -240 and Flagg in second with odds of +240.

Marquette star Kam Jones and Tennessee shooting guard Chaz Lanier are currently leading the dark horses for the Wooden Award with odds of +750 and +1200, respectively, per Sports Betting Dime.

Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Alabama star Mark Sears and Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey also featured in the Top 25 for the prestigious honor.

The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, while the winner will be announced on April 11, 2025.