Last year’s national player of the year race in men’s college basketball was a highly entertaining one, with a veteran superstar in Johni Broome holding the edge for much of the season until Cooper Flagg’s dominant close removed all doubt. We could be in for similar drama in 2025–26 thanks to the return of some of the best players in the country combined with an elite crop of freshmen who could take the sport by a storm. Who are some of the top names to know in this year’s NPOY race? Sports Illustrated breaks down the early top 10.
