Cooper Flagg Headlines 2025 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Finalists

The 2025 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year list is down to four after the finalists were announced on Tuesday.

Duke superstar Cooper Flagg headlines the group that also includes Auburn's Johni Broome, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. and Purdue's Braden Smith.

Any concerns that Flagg's ankle injury suffered in the ACC tournament quarterfinals might impact his ability to play in the NCAA tournament or hinder his performance have been proven wrong.

Flagg, who sat out final two games of the ACC tournament, has combined for 32 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in 51 minutes through Duke's first two victories in the NCAA tournament.

In 34 total games this season, Flagg is averaging 18.7 points on 48.8 percent shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest.

As impressive as those overall numbers are, Flagg really elevated his game after the holiday break in December. He's shooting 52.7 percent overall and 42.5 percent from three in 22 starts since Dec. 31.

The Blue Devils are 21-1 during this stretch and look like the most dominant team in the tournament right now. They beat Mount St. Mary's and Baylor by a combined 67 points to earn a spot in the Sweet 16 against Arizona.

Flagg's primary competition for the award is likely going to end up being Broome. The Auburn star has already earned SEC Player of the Year honors and was a unanimous first-team All-American selection.

Broome ranks sixth among all Division I players with 19 double-doubles in 33 games played. He averages a double-double with 18.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest, along with 2.2 blocks per game for a Tigers team that is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

Auburn will also be playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time reaching the Final Four in 2019. The Tigers have already tied their single-season record with 30 wins. A victory over Michigan on Friday will set a new benchmark for victories.

The SEC also has another finalist for the award with Clayton in the final four after a brilliant season for a Florida team that won the conference tournament title for the first time since 2014.

Clayton is averaging 17.9 points on 38.7 percent three-point shooting and 4.2 assists per game in 35 appearances. He has elevated his game in the postseason, scoring at least 22 points in four straight games since the SEC tournament semifinals.

Purdue has a chance to join UCLA and Virginia as the only programs with three consecutive Naismith Player of the Year winners if Smith takes home the prize. Zach Edey won the award in each of the past two seasons for the Boilermakers.

Despite losing Edey to the NBA after last season, Purdue hasn't experienced a significant dip in performance. A lot of that is due to Smith emerging as a dynamic playmaker. His 8.5 assists per game ranks second among all Division I players, in addition to averaging 16.0 points and 2.2 steals per game.

If Flagg wins the award, he will be the first Duke player honored with the Naismith Player of the Year trophy since Zion Williamson in 2019. Broome would be the first Auburn player—man or woman—to receive the award if he wins.

The winner will be announced on April 6 during the off day between the Final Four and national championship game.