The player who just passed Cooper Flagg as John Wooden Award favorite
11/28/2024 02:37 PM
The 2024-2025 college basketball season has been the Cooper Flagg show through the first month but the Duke freshman has been quietly surpassed by another rising star in the betting market. After being the favorite to win the 2024-2025 John Wooden Award for all of November, Flagg is no longer the first name according to sportsbook oddsmakers, which now list Auburn’s Johni Broome ahead of him.
Broome, a fifth-year senior forward, surpassed Flagg on Fanduel Sportsbook the day after Auburn’s 90-76 Wednesday night win over Memphis. The Morehead State transfer is now +220 to take home college basketball’s most prestigious award. Flagg is right behind him in second place at +300.
In the 2024 Maui Invitational title win over Memphis, Broome dominated the paint with 21 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. His big stat line marked his fifth straight double-double while moving his season averages to 20.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.1 blocks per game through seven games. Broome saw his biggest leap after posting a 23-point, 19-rebound game in a win over North Carolina on Nov. 26.
While Flagg’s performances have not declined enough to let Broome overtake him, Duke’s recent results likely influenced his slight dip. The Blue Devils’ recent loss to No. 1-ranked Kansas dropped them to 4-2 on the year and down to No. 11 in the AP Top 25.
Conversely, Auburn has gone 7-0 in November and has subsequently risen to No. 4 in the AP rankings. The Tigers already own marquee wins over Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina and Memphis through the early season. Taking home the 2024 Maui Invitational title has also helped Broome’s clause entering the holiday season.
The Wooden Award betting odds figure to see its biggest change on Dec. 4 when Flagg and Broome go head-to-head in Durham. Another big performance from either player combined with a win could solidify the early frontrunner.
Full 2024-2025 John Wooden Award betting odds
While the Wooden Award betting odds figure to change drastically over the next four months, three clear leaders have separated themselves from the pack. Behind Broome and Flagg, Marquette senior Kam Jones sits in third place on Fanduel at +550 to win the award.
A big gap exists between Jones and the next highest-rated candidate: Purdue guard Braden Smith. The junior is a distant +1500 on Fanduel, indicating that Broome, Flagg and Jones are the three clear leaders through November. If Smith is able to close the gap and somehow take home the trophy, he would bring the award back to East Lafayette for the third consecutive year after Zach Edey accomplished the feat the previous two years.
Behind Smith, Hunter Dickinson of Kansas, Mark Sears of Alabama and R.J. Davis of North Carolina are tied in fourth place. All three college basketball veterans are both a step behind Smith at +2000. Florida senior Walter Clayton Jr. is a distant seventh place in the betting market at +4000.
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